Depths of Hell: The Demon Rebellion Arc
by Evhron
Summary: After the final battle with Aizen, Ichigo has been losing his powers faster than expected and he's been unable to find a way to get them back. Meanwhile, Hueco Mundo has been invaded by a new race that should not have a reason to attack, which forces some old Hollow friends and foes to look for help outside their World. Rated M for gore and limes. Art by Elietzero from DeviantArt.
1. Overthrow

"I... Feel so weak..." Ichigo muttered as he woke up.

It was a normal morning, weeks after the final battle with Aizen had come to a closure. The final _Getsuga Tenshou_ however, left his Reiatsu in a deplorable state.

Day after day, Ichigo felt how his Shinigami powers left him. He was becoming a human, in a slow and painful way.

Once he was physically recovered, he started going to school normally. Everything was how it should be, in theory. Life couldn't seem more plain and boring in Ichigo's eyes, though.

Sure, a normal life was all he ever wanted at the start... But knowing that even his closest friends were risking their lives fighting Hollows and other threats while he was merely doing homework every day and beating up thugs from time to time... was pretty frustrating, to say the least.

Things changed, and he wasn't so sure that it was for the better anymore. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that the life he was leading was fascinating. It had its harsh counterpart, he couldn't deny that, but it was also fun and unique in many ways.

The only thing that comforted him was the idea of his sisters being safe, as thanks to the disappearance of his Spiritual Pressure, no more Hollows should be popping up in his area in the same way they did before... But even that wasn't absolute.

Lately, Orihime tried to cheer him up by making him company, while Uryuu and Chad trained with him, so that he could measure how much power he had left. None of those things seemed to improve his mood in the slightest though. As he fought his friends, who were as strong as ever, he realised how he was becoming weaker and weaker as time passed.

Rukia and Renji came about twice a week after the incident to see how things were going. At first, this made Ichigo happy, but in time, he felt that a greater distance was growing between them ever since he started losing his powers.

"...And Hirako-san decided to go back to the Seireitei as well, and even took the position of Captain, on the 5th Division" Rukia finished telling him. They had been talking about the changes of the Gotei 13 in Ichigo's room for an hour.

"Is that so? Wow, I didn't expect Hirako to even go back to Soul Society. I wish I could fight him and Kensei, but in this state..." He looked down in frustration.

"C'mon Ichigo... I'm sure there must be a way for you to recover your powers. And even if your Reiatsu is totally consumed, you wouldn't simply give up, would you?" Renji tried to cheer him up.

"Well, that _is _true. Actually, I should go see Urahara. Probably he's trying to find a solution" He seriously concluded.

"No matter what happens... Never give up, Ichigo!" Rukia said in a serious tone, like an order, but then she smiled at her friend.

"Tch... I know, I know!" He replied hastily. "You guys gonna come or...?"

"Sorry, but I gotta get back to my duties in the Seireitei. Believe it or not, we are quite busy, but Rukia should be free" Renji said.

"Not really. I wanted to visit Inoue as well" Rukia replied as she thought: "She has been feeling blue lately... Probably due to her fruitless efforts to cheer Ichigo up. But it's understandable, so I can't blame him" She finished thinking as she looked at an already depressed Ichigo.

"It doesn't matter. I'll go on my own and tell you guys how did it go next time"

"That sounds well. I'll be going then. Next time, I want a fight, Kurosaki!" Renji challenged.

"Yeah, I'll do everything I can to give you one" Ichigo replied with a sly grin.

Renji jumped off the window into the street and left.

"Geez, he doesn't know how to act normal in this world, does he?" Ichigo protested.

"You know how he is. Anyway, I think I'm gonna go see how Inoue-san is doing. Do you want to deliver a message to her?"

"Um... Not really" He replied honestly.

"*sigh* Well, I'll be going then. See you soon, Ichigo, good luck" Rukia left the room a bit dissapointed.

"What's up with her? *sigh*" He laid on the bed for a while before going to see Urahara.

~~~~X~~~~

_Meanwhile in Hueco Mundo..._

"Open a Garganta as fast as you can!" Ordered Harribel to a large group of Hollows and Arrancars escaping Las Noches.

"Where to, Harribel-sama?" Asked Emilou.

"For now, anywhere in the Human world is good enough. Just tell everyone to be careful not to hurt any humans in the meantime, that would give away their location. I know most Arrancars understand this, but for the same reason, we need to asign one to each group to make sure the lower Hollows don't ruin it"

"Understood" Replied her other two Fracción.

"So, that's what we're doing, _Queen_?" Grimmjow asked with irony. "We're just gonna run away as these Demons and that traitor do whatever the hell they want with our home?!"

"Do you have a better idea? If you want to be blown away to pieces, do as you wish, but I won't make needless sacrifices. In the worst of cases, I'm willing to fight while the rest escapes, but I really don't know how much time that would buy" She replied determined.

"Hrrngh..." Grimmjow growled in sign of defeat.

Suddenly, a giant green _Cero_ was blasted through the palace. It did not harm anyone, in fact, it seemed more like a warning.

"Well done! I knew that _yo__u_ were the fittest to be brought back to life..." A big muscular male demon of red skin, two black horns and orange eyes said in praise.

"I would've rather stayed dead than sell my carcass and betray my race" Replied the nihilist Espada.

"But you have no choice. Yama-sama saw potential in you and saved your soul from an eternal torture. You should be thankful"

"I don't care about suffering. I don't care about living. I don't care about anything..."

"Well, then you shouldn't care about killing some thousands of mortal souls for us" The Demon said with an evil grin, showing his disgusting yellow teeth.

"I don't care about anything" He repeated.

Inside his mind however, a different idea was crossing. "Anything... But what a heart truly is" And he extended his hand as he remembered his final intent to attain what a heart was. The last time, he had seen _her_.

As the giant _Cero_ flew through the dark sky, Yammy, who was fighting hordes of lesser-Demons, looked above and muttered. "It can't be... Ul...quiorra"

By his side, a trio of arrancars were escaping as fast as they could.

"Keep running, Nel-sama! We left the Demons behind, but not for long!" Pesche said with a tone of fear.

"Oh no, here comes one flying right at us!" Dondochakka pointed at the sky.

Indeed, a flying Lesser-Demon was going straight at them.

"Hehehehehe!" He laughed while preparing his claws to rip the three apart in an instant.

"No! We'll protect you, Nel-sama!" Said Pesche as he drew his sword from under his pants.

The Demon looked confused, but thanks to that, Pesche managed to attack him on time.

"Take that!"

It was wounded, but it could still fight.

"Grah!" It growled, with a severe cut that went from its chest to its left wing.

Even worse, more of them noticed and went to help their brother.

"Those are too many to handle by swords! We need to do it, Pesche!" Said Dondochakka nervously.

"Agreed"

"_Cero Sincrético__!" _Said the two at the same time, and blasted a yellow and purple Cero at the swarm of Demons.

The attack worked. The creatures disintegrated in a flash.

"You did it guys!" Little Nel jumped happily after witnessing the power of her brothers.

It was true that Pesche and Dondochakka weren't natural warriors, but when Nel was in danger it was a completely different story. The fact that they were once part of Aizen's army couldn't be doubted when they showed their full potential.

A bigger Demon of gray skin appeared right away to erase the smile off their faces.

"Feeling lucky after you defeated such scum, huh? Don't worry... I'll show you what a real Oni is like!"

The Demon drew a long rough black sword and was about to swing it when a red light hit him in the fraction of a second.

"_BALA_!" Shouted Yammy from the distance, then he used _Sonido _to approach himand cut his head before it could counter.

"Hey you! What the hell are you doing?!" Yammy told them after killing the Oni.

"We're trying to escape the Demons, of course!" Pesche replied bothered by such an unnecessary question.

"Well, you dumbasses are getting nowhere by foot! You're lucky that I was around, though that Cero you did wasn't half bad... Maybe you could come with me to the Human World"

"Human World..." Nel repeated. "Isn't that... Where Itsygo lives?" She remembered.

"I think so, Nel-sama. If I remember correctly, he was only a substitute Shinigami" Pesche replied.

"Let's go! Let's go! Itsygo is so strong... I know he can save us!" She remembered how he bravely fought Nnoitra, even after fighting Grimmjow in his _Resurreción_. Of course she knew that he had lost that battle, but she heard that it was him who was able to overpower Aizen in the final battle of Karakura, so she could only imagine how strong he would be now.

"Hey, stop talking and get in here!" Yammy ordered as he opened a _Garganta_.

"Okay" The trio replied.

They entered the _Garganta_ and disappeared from Hueco Mundo.

"Phew... That was a close call" Yammy said as he got out in the same park he entered the first time, when he was alongside Ulquiorra. "Huh?! Hey! Where did you go?! Dammit... But it's not like I need them anyway... That dog better be alive!" He cursed as he noticed that the other Arrancar were nowhere to be found.

~~~~X~~~~

Ichigo went to Urahara's place looking for help.

"Yo, Kurosaki-san! How are you doing?" Urahara greeted him in the entrance to his shop.

"Not really well to say the truth"

"I imagine that has to do with you losing your Shinigami powers"

"I'm gonna say things straight: my Reiatsu is leagues below what it was before fighting the Arrancar, and if this goes on, I don't think I'll be able to even face a Menos Grande by the next week"

"Hmm... And what would you be looking for in here, then? You wouldn't really be hoping that I have a miraculous solution to your problem, which I remind you, it was something you accepted when you used that power"

"Hey, don't give me that crap! If I hadn't used that power your plan would've never worked. There was no other choice!" Ichigo lost his cool.

"Look, Ichigo. I'm not criticising you, don't get me wrong, but you have to be responsible with the decisions you make. It's true, probably there was no other option, but it is a sacrifice you accepted making"

"And I'd do it again if it was necessary, but if things continue to go this way I won't be able to do anything in the future. I'll be a useless human..."

At first, such thought didn't seem so bad for him. He would go to a normal school, have normal friends and lead a normal life. However... That wasn't an option for him anymore. After all he had gone through, he couldn't just forget it all and live in such a carefree manner when he knew that his friends were risking their lives. Aizen was not a threat anymore, but who could say that in that moment there was no one else scheming something terrible from the shadows? He just couldn't let things be.

"Now, now. I know I was a bit harsh, but to tell you the truth, I knew things would be reduced to this in the end... So, come inside. There's something I wanted to show you"

"No way... You-you have a solution?"

"Keep your cool, Kurosaki-san. It's not fully complete, but I guess it should help for now"

"Understood"

Ichigo entered the shop. It was very clean and everything seemed in order. The place wasn't as lively as it was normally though.

"Where is everyone?"

"I sent them to Soul Society buy me some stuff, so they won't be back for a couple days. Of course, I did it on purpose. No one knows I've been working on this" He said the last sentence with a serious tone as he looked Ichigo in the eye under his hat.

"Now you're scaring me. It's rare that you take such measures when doing your research"

"I did it cause I thought I'd have a medium to big problem if Soul Society was to find out"

Ichigo kept following Urahara through the shop, until they reached what seemed like a dead end. It was a large room in which he had never been before, but in front of them, there was only a wall with a couple marks of cuts.

"What is this...?" Ichigo muttered in confusion.

"Hey, Kurosaki-san" Spoke Urahara with a cool tone. "You've never seen my _Bankai_ before, have you?"

"No. I actually gave up on the thought of ever seeing it"

"Well, it is your lucky day. To be honest, I try to keep my abilities as secret as possible, but I doubt we ever have to fight as enemies so, here goes nothing..."

The air in the room became suddenly dense as Urahara drew his sword, held it in the air and pronounced the words:

"_Bankai__:_ **_Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame_**"

A giant princess with red revealing clothes was summoned behind him. Immediately after, a clean cut of red light went through the wall in front of them, which was perfectly divided in two, revealing a secret room at the end of the long concrete wall.

The feminine figure disappeared as suddenly as it made its apparition.

"So, shall we continue?" The ex-captain looked at Ichigo with a proud smirk, as he knew that he'd be amused by the strange yet amazing nature of his _Bankai_. Even more incredible, was the fact that it split a wall in two like it was nothing.

"Damn..." Was all he could say.

At the end of the newly opened hallway was a dark room with an illuminated capsule in the center.

Inside the capsule was a white cube with a purple sphere inside.

"Is that...?!" Ichigo recognised it.

"Exactly. It is an incomplete Hogyoku"

Now everything made sense. After all the trouble Soul Society had gone because of that invention, Urahara took the risk and created a new one just to restore his powers.

"Is this really the only way?"

"In your current state, it is"

Ichigo sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Although it is not what it seems. This Hogyoku is different from the one I made before. This one is not meant to give the user a limitless evolution or something of sorts. It still fulfills the user's wish, but it is limited to give a little push to the existing Reiatsu within a soul. In simple terms, it serves the same purpose Aizen gave it when he started creating artificial Arrancar"

"You said it's incomplete though" Ichigo reminded.

"Yeah. For starters, it's not nearly close to what the original Hogyoku is in terms of power and structure. Replicating that would take a great deal of time, luck and work, even for me! I wouldn't say it is truly a Hogyoku because of this, but its appearance convinced me of calling it that anyways. Now, to the more important matters... You see, I've given it all the Shinigami Reiatsu it could hold, because of the limit I mentioned. The problem is, your powers are not those of a Shinigami alone..."

"I see... So you need Hollow Reiatsu as well"

"Precisely. It's too bad that I'm not friends with a Hollow..." He gave a look at Ichigo.

"What? You think I have a friend in Hueco Mundo?"

"The other day Inoue-san told me a little résumé of your adventures with the Hollows. She mentioned that a beautiful Arrancar became quite fond of you during the journey"

"She couldn't mean... Nel?" He said out loud. "Cause Grimmjow is not a friend and definitely not pretty..." He thought.

"Marvelous, it was true! So, when are you introducing me to this lady, Kurosaki-san? You know, the sooner I meet her, the sooner your powers will return" It was clear that Urahara was more interested in her than in helping Ichigo.

"Stop it, perv. Like I would let you near her!" He yelled. "Actually, even if I wanted, I wouldn't be able to find her. I can't search for her Reiatsu like this..." He finished disappointed.

"Boo, that's too bad. Guess you'll have to wait for me to fill this thing up with the Hollow Reiatsu of the Menos that appear... Or maybe I could ask Hiyori-san and the others to help, though that would probably take a while..."

"I'm not using that crap!" Ichigo was stubborn in using the Hogyoku to get his powers back.

Urahara was about to reprimand him, when he suddenly felt three middle-level Reiatsu of the Hollow kind at the entrance of his shop. "Now this is odd"

"What happened?"

"Don't tell me... You can't even feel it?" Urahara became really worried.

Ichigo focused very hard to get a glimpse of what Urahara was sensing. There was a faint pressence, but he could not distinguish wether it belonged to an individual or a group. It was also impossible for him to tell what kind of Reiatsu it was.

"I can feel something, but I can't say anything sure about it"

"This is more serious than it seemed. Anyway, let's get out of here at once. I don't think it's the best idea, but while I conceal this room, could you go towards the entrance to hold whoever is upstairs back? I feel three medium Reiatsu from Hollows"

"Hollows? In here?! Don't worry, Urahara, I'll go immediately" Ichigo used the Substitute Shinigami badge and turned into his Shinigami form.

"Don't be reckless, Ichigo, that's an order. They could even be Arrancar hiding their Reiatsu"

"Alright..." He replied bothered and exited the room.

He ran in the direction Urahara told him, not sure about what he was going to find.

"No matter what it is... I'm gonna give it my all!" He thought as he grabbed his sword.

And just as he was getting ready for combat, something jumped into his head.

"What the-?"

"ITSYGO!!!"

He fell to the floor as a little girl hugged his face.

"N-NEL?!" He recognized her voice and small body in an instant, but couldn't believe the situation.

"Nel found you, Itsygo! Itsygo! Itsygo! Itsygo!" She had the biggest smile he had ever seen and tears of joy in her eyes as she hugged him and giggled.

"Nel-sama, I think you're overdoing it a little..." Dondochakka pointed out as he saw Ichigo was having trouble to breathe.

But it was just the beginning. Nel was so glad to see him that she lost control of her emotions, letting a giant source of Reiatsu out, along with a pink gas in a sudden explosion.

"No way..." Said her brothers in unison as they saw her in her adult form for the first time after the incident.

Her green piece of cloth was teared in two, conveniently covering her lower part as well as most of her breasts.

Now Ichigo was not only breathless but also bleeding from his nose as Nelliel continued snuggling him.

"It was you! Ichigo..." She looked at him in the eye as she tenderly said his name with a joyful expression.

Ichigo, red as a strawberry, was only able to gulp.

"Woah! I don't know if I should save you or envy you, Kurosaki-san!" Urahara carelessly said as he arrived in the room while playing with a fan.

On the other hand, Nelliel's reaction was cautious. She grabbed Ichigo and used _Sonido_ to exit the shop. She was scared of Shinigami, and identified Urahara's Reiatsu in the moment he appeared. Her brothers followed her, but so did Urahara.

In the instant he appeared, she drew out her sword and used a defensive position, standing in front of her friends with her Zanpakuto in hand.

"Who are you and what do you want, Shinigami?" She asked in a menacing tone.

"Wait a second, there. I don't mean to harm you. I'm Urahara Kisuke, just the humble owner of this candy shop!"

However, Nelliel let a giant amount of Reiatsu out, indicating that she didn't trust him in the slightest.

"Nel, it's alright! He's just a friend!" Ichigo said to convince her.

She looked at Ichigo and put the sword back in the sheath. Then she sighed in relief and said: "Sorry, Ichigo. I didn't know"

"My, my. That was one hell of a Reiatsu you have there, but then again, that 3 on your back explains everything..." Urahara smiled as he grasped his luck.

If it had only been an Arrancar, the process of feeding the Hogyoku would've taken a couple days, but if it was an Espada they were dealing with, Ichigo would get back his powers by the next day.

"I'm Nelliel Tu Odelschwank. I used to be the 3rd Espada, but that was long ago... Nowadays, I only fight to protect my friends, and Ichigo is a dear friend of mine. I just can't risk losing him, and we're still a bit shaken after we lost our home" She apologized.

"Wait a second, Nel. What do you mean?" Ichigo asked.

"Of course, you don't know why we're here!" She remembered.

"Oh, it was terrible!" Pesche said with great sorrow.

"And they came out of nowhere!" Added Dondochakka, crying like always.

"What?! Who?!" Ichigo was more curious about the problem.

"The _Oni_ invaded Hueco Mundo" Nelliel said.

"No way... The Oni?" Urahara seemed really worried. "Come inside, I want you to tell me every detail, please"

They went to the tea room and Urahara gave Nelliel a yukata for her to change.

"Put this on. It would be a crime to let you wear those ragged clothes"

"Thanks" She replied with a smile, which showed that she understood Urahara wasn't a bad guy.

She went to another room to change, while the shop owner prepared some tea.

"Hey, Urahara. Who are the_ Oni__?__"_ Asked Ichigo, oblivious of the problem.

"The Oni are a race of incredibly powerful Demons. They are the wardens of _Jigoku_, which is Hell in simple terms. There they torture sinners of different kinds"

"Why would they attack Hueco Mundo, then?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. The Oni are supposed to be controlled by the old Gods, along with the fact that they do not need anything. Their existence depends on the souls they torture. As long as there are sinners to punish, the Oni don't need anything else"

Ichigo was trying to imagine the aspect of an Oni when a sliding door opened.

Nelliel came back into the room wearing the beautiful yukata Urahara gave her. It was made of a silk as white as snow and had cherry trees and blossoms painted on it.

Ichigo was speechless as he saw her. Last time, he didn't have the chance to notice just how pretty she was, but now, he couldn't believe how amazing she looked. Her beautiful face, long wild turquoise hair, perfectly shaped and goddess-size bust, thin waist, curvy rear and long legs were a sight he couldn't help to behold.

"How do I look?" She asked innocently.

"Very good, Nel-sama!" Replied her brothers.

"Wow, that yukata fits you perfectly! You know... keep it. You look dazzling on it" Urahara approved.

"Thanks" She gladly received their words. However, the compliment she wanted to hear most wasn't pronounced yet.

Ichigo, with his eyes hipnotized by Nelliel's appearance could only mutter:

"Gorgeous..."

As she heard that word come from his lips, Nelliel could only giggle as she blushed, and thought that she definitely had to keep that yukata.

"My, My..." Urahara said.

"Huh?" Ichigo snapped. "Did I say something?" He started getting red.

"Just the right thing. I'm surprised actually, hehehehe" The shop owner laughed at him.

"Sh-Shut up!" Ichigo replied as his face boiled.

Nelliel didn't care though, she seemed to be in her own world after hearing him call her gorgeous.

"Well, let's talk about a more serious topic now" Urahara said as he served them all a cup of red tea.

"Right" Nelliel's expression became serious and she went back to the real world. "To say the truth, we didn't witness everything, but the first thing I remember is that we were playing around the desert at night, when suddenly a giant portal different to a _Garganta_ opened above us. From it, swarms of Lesser-Demons came flying. After those, bigger wingless Demons fell to the ground. They had black swords, but I'm not sure if they were Zanpakuto. When this happened, we ran as far as we could to escape, but we weren't able to open a _Garganta_. We were lucky to come across a strong Arrancar though. He saved us and brought us to this world. As soon as we came here I looked for your Reiatsu and went in that direction. To be honest, I wasn't sure if it was you, because it was rather weak, but it doesn't matter anymore cause I found you!" She finished with an excited tone.

"I see. It's probable that you witnessed the opening of a _Kimon_, a Demon gate. It's rare that they do such thing. They are only supposed to open those when a sinner's soul escapes Jigoku in some way, and even then, a single powerful Demon should do that job..." Urahara explained and kept thinking.

"Why did you want to find me so desperately though?" Asked Ichigo oblivious of what was in Nel's mind.

"Well..." Nelliel started saying with the thought of Ichigo protecting her back in Hueco Mundo. "I doubt there's a single Hollow in Hueco Mundo that hasn't heard of your victory over Aizen. You are the only one that can save us, Ichigo!" As she said those words, her eyes shined in a hopeful way.

"Nel..." Ichigo sighed. "I... I'm not strong anymore. I used a final technique during that fight to defeat Aizen, that meant a big sacrifice. The reason you almost couldn't feel my Reiatsu, is because I have too little left, and it's only becoming less. I'm really sorry, Nel" He punched the floor as he told her the truth.

"Ichigo..." She stood and went to his side.

He looked defeated. After two years being a Shinigami, he always became stronger by merely training more. It was simple: you're weak, you train more. You reached your limit, you have to get a new power. Now, there was no option left but to rely on the Hogyoku, which made him feel so helpless.

Nelliel hugged and pressed him against her chest as she said with a sweet voice: "I'm so sorry for asking you that now, Ichigo. It's just that ever since you came to Hueco Mundo, you were always there to protect me, even when the enemy was stronger. I... I didn't mean to make you feel useless... I'm so sorry...!" She cried as she apologized.

He was surprised to see her so affected by that as well. He knew she was his friend, AND a crybaby, but this time, it was almost as if she could _feel_ his pain.

This transient thought simply made its way into his subconscious as he wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her, thinking it was somewhat because of him that she ended up like that.

"Nel... It's not your fault. In fact, I think it's no one's fault" He replied whiping the tears off her face.

"There is a way you can help him, if that's what you wish to do..." Urahara told Nelliel.

"Urahara, no!" Ichigo reprimended.

"What do I have to do?" She stood up and asked determined.

"I just need you to feed a certain amount of Reiatsu to a little invention of mine"

"Nel, there's no need for you to do it. Uarahara said the truth, I decided to sacrifice my powers for a greater cause" He stood up as well and touched her shoulder to stop her.

"Listen, Ichigo. If there's a way for you to recover your powers and I can help, I won't doubt it for one second. I would do anything for you" She blushed a little as she finished that phrase.

"Nel..." He felt strange as he heard those words, but he could not describe that feeling.

"Well, to me it looks like she made her decision. So why don't you cut that crap of sacrifice and regain your powers already?" Urahara was now pissed that Ichigo was being so stubborn for no real reason. "And don't use those words against me. While that was true in the start, you're just being a hardheaded idiot considering that there IS a way to get your powers back"

Ichigo groaned a bit, pressing his fists. Urahara was totally right.

"Alright" He finally said. "Let's do it" A part of him didn't want to use the Hogyoku, but another part was willing to do anything to get his Soul Reaper days back.

"Could you guys stay here and look for the shop for a while?" Urahara asked the other two Arrancar.

"No problem" Replied Dondochakka.

"We will take care of this place as if it was our own home" Added Pesche.

"We shouldn't take too long, anyway" The owner replied. "Let's go"

This time, Ichigo knew the way towards the secret room, so he walked alongside Urahara and Nelliel followed them.

"Could you and Nel-chan stay in this room as I open the path? Enough people have seen my _Bankai_ already" Urahara asked.

"Ok. You don't mind, do you?" Ichigo asked her.

Nelliel shook her head.

Urahara went into the next room, which left them by themselves.

"So... What did you do during these past weeks?" Ichigo asked to break the ice.

"Nothing much. After the fight with Nnoitra I went back to my child form and, since you were gone, I guess we went back to our normal lifestyle in the desert"

"I hope you're not angry with me for leaving you at that time..." Ichigo remembered how he immediately went to save Orihime and left Nel in the battlefield.

"No, not at all. Inoue-san healed my wounds and stood by your side as long as she could. It would be very disgraceful of me to be angry because of such a situation" Nelliel replied with honesty.

"I'm glad you understand" Ichigo said in relief.

"I would lie if I said that I didn't miss you after that though" She added with a hint of sadness.

"I'm sorry to say, I didn't have much space in my head to think about you during that time. It's not that I didn't care, cause you are really dear to me, but there was just so much happening that I couldn't think about anything else than defeating Aizen"

"I understand. I've always had Pesche and Dondochakka by my side anyways, but after sharing so much with you, when you left, it was like a little void inside of me opened up... And it was not my Hollow hole!" She comically finished the sentence pointing at a space between her breasts, which contained the empty space all Hollows had somewhere in their bodies.

"Hahaha..." Ichigo laughed a bit for the bad pun, while blushing a bit due to the place she indicated, quickly looking away in shame. "Although I'm really sorry that you felt that way... If I hadn't been so fixated on my own weakness during the past weeks, I'm sure I would've thought about you as well"

"But that doesn't matter anymore. What's important is that I found you again! Now I'll never leave your side, Ichigo..." She hugged him and rested her head in his chest.

He chuckled in response and thought: "And I'd be really glad if you didn't..." Then he pat her head.

He still had the feeling that she was a kid when she acted that way, but her new proportions and her more analytical thought as he saw earlier, slowly started getting in his head that she was an adult, and probably more than him even.

In spite of that, Nelliel merely felt overjoyed as he did this. She loved the way he caressed her head and hair with his fingers, the warm palm of his hand gently stroking it.

"If only this could last forever..." She thought, purring.

But immediately after, the door in front opened and Kisuke came back.

"Sorry, guys! I took a bit longer in the end cause I decided to just go get this thing and leave everything the way it was, but here it is" Urahara told them as he held a cube-shaped object in his hand.

"G-Good!" Ichigo replied stuttered.

Nelliel was leaning on the wall by Ichigo's side pretending that nothing happened, even though she was clearly blushing.

In fact, she had no idea why she reacted that way. She was so happy receiving his tender touch, then why did it feel wrong that someone else saw her that way?

Urahara noticed the situation, but decided to leave them be.

"This, Nel-san, is a Hogyoku. It is the object that will restore Kurosaki-kun's powers"

"I've seen it before. Aizen used that thing to create Arrancar more easily"

"This one in particular though, was made for a single use. Once Kurosaki-san absorbs its power, it will cease to exist. I made it that way because it was a lot easier and, overall, less dangerous"

"I see. What do I have to do with it?"

"Just raise your Reiatsu as you hold it" Indicated Urahara. "Whatever you do, don't press it. Also, it should take a while. If you feel tired, just stop, and we'll continue later or tomorrow"

"Okay"

Nelliel did as she was told and put the Hogyoku in between her hands. She started letting her Reiatsu out in a powerful but measured way.

The spherical center of the Hogyoku started shining, indicating the process was done correctly.

She continued charging the Hogyoku for about fifteen minutes when a sudden physical change interrupted the process.

"Shit! I forgot this happened!" Ichigo said as he caught the Hogyoku in the air.

Nel became a child again and was covered in the yukata like it was a large mantle.

"Sorry, Itsygo. Nel thought tse could do more, but in the end this happened..." Little tears appeared in her eyes as she apologized.

"Don't worry, Nel. It's my fault for forgetting your adult form only lasts for so long..." He put his hand in her head to make her feel better.

"I think I understand now why your clothes were the way they were..." Urahara connected the dots.

"It's enough for today, Urahara. If her body came back to her child state it's dangerous to continue" Ichigo replied seriously.

"Hmm... That is a little problem if you ask me. Why does that happen, Nel-chan?" Urahara asked her.

"Nel's not tsure, but Nel thinks it has something to do with the crack on her skull. When Nel uses too muts Reiatsu, tse feels how a big amount of it is lost through that crack. Nel used to be an adult, but after tse received that wound during a battle, Nel became a tsild and didn't go back to her normal form... Until Nel's emotsions ran wild when an Espada was beating up Itsygo"

"I see. I'm thinking of a solution for the meantime, but if you want to go back to normal permanently, we should find a way to fix that crack on your head" Urahara thought of Orihime as he said that part.

"How long will this temporary solution take?" Ichigo asked him.

"Oh, it should be ready by tomorrow morning!" The inventor replied.

"No way! So quick?"

"A geniuse's time to complete a project is fully given by its motivation" Urahara poetically replied.

"And what is your great motivation? Cause I don't think that it's getting my powers back"

"I don't know what else could it be... Ahahaha" Kisuke laughed as he thought: "There's no way in Hell I'm letting Nel-chan stay in this childish form! I may be weird, but I'm no lollicon, and neither is him, I hope... And more importantly, she is key to get him back in the game, especially now with this new menace"

Ichigo sighed and offered Nel to climb to his back.

She immediately accepted and was happily riding Ichigo like she used to do in Hueco Mundo.

"Just like in the old times..." She thought happily.

* * *

**Important****: in order to get the full experience, read it in the Fanfiction App, cause I've noticed that some things I add with non-conventional writing style (for artistic reasons) do not appear complete in the desktop and mobile version of the Fanfic page.**

**And so it begins. During the past week I was aching to start this story, and even now that I finished its first chapter, it pains me to think that I can't publish it until I publish the last Pokémon chapter because of my self-imposed 3 ongoing story rule. Anyway, this story should be of mid to long length (depending on my own inspiration) and I hope you guys like it.**

**I really love Bleach, but I also know that it has a giant lore that's not simple at all, so if I make any mistake related to conditions, places or powers, feel free to tell me and I will look into it to correct it as soon as possible. The same goes for past events, but these can be changed slightly to fit the story, so I will not always count these changes as mistakes. I'm doing my best to fit the story with the current timeline. In case you didn't notice, this story occurs a couple weeks after Aizen's defeat in Karakura and it's evident that Ichigo's loss of Reiatsu occurred in a critical way in this fic.**

**I'll try to reply to reviews in the next chapter in which they were posted (if there are any) at the end of this space.**

**Please understand that I also have other two active stories that I must take care of as well.**

**Also, just this once... Disclaimer: The Bleach franchise and all its content belongs to Tite Kubo****. I just made a story using his world and adding ideas of my own.**

**Thank you for reading and see you soon!**

**Evhron out.**

**PD: Although I love Nel's green hair in the Manga, I just described it as Turquoise in this fic because that way it's the same as in the Anime and videogames, so it's easier to imagine.**


	2. The Great Migration

"Nel-sama, you're back to being little!" Dondochakka exclaimed.

"It doesn't last long... But thanks to that, Nel can enjoy being in Itsygo's care like in Hueco Mundo!" She replied happily as she was being carried. Urahara had already given her a piece of cloth similar to the one she was wearing before turning into an adult.

"So, where will you be staying?" Ichigo asked Nel and her brothers.

"Nel thought Itsygo could give us a home" She assumed.

"Wha-? Does everyone think my house is some kind of hotel or somethin'? Ichigo protested.

"I wouldn't mind if Nel-chan stayed here" Urahara grinned.

"Let's go home, Nel. Pesche and Dondochakka can come as well if they like" Ichigo replied with a menacing look in answer to Urahara's offer.

"Don't worry, Ichigo-sama. We can stay here so we don't give you further trouble"

"Thank you for thinking about me. Actually, how did you manage to enter this world without being pursued by Soul Society?"

"Oh, that is because they must be dealing with other hundreds of groups that escaped Hueco Mundo and entered different places in your world" Dondochakka casually replied.

"What?! Are you telling me that everyone in Hueco Mundo came to the Human World...?" Ichigo asked with a look of disbelief.

"Everyone that managed to escape at least. That was the order Harribel-sama gave everyone" Pesche clarified.

"Harribel? Who's that? Is he a strong Hollow or somethin'?" Ichigo had never met the actual 3rd Espada.

"It is a she. But yes, she is indeed the strongest Hollow in Hueco Mundo after the battle with Aizen. She was the only surviving Espada of the battle in Karakura" Dondochakka told him.

"What number is she?"

"3, the same number Nel-sama used to have when she was... an Espada" Pesche replied in a difficult way since he was still assimilating the fact that Nel had gotten her memories back as well as her adult form for a while.

Her two brothers knew about this ever since they felt her powerful Reiatsu during their fight with Szayelaporro, but after they reunited with her, they preferred not to ask her anything and Nel didn't say anything about it either, but they assumed that if her powers were back so would her memories be.

"We should try to find her. I'm pretty sure that if she talks with Captain Yamamoto about the current situtation you could get help from Soul Society" Ichigo innocently said.

"I don't think it would be so simple, Kurosaki-san. Soul Society has been the main enemy of Hollows for tens of thousands of years. Even if the current Gotei 13 was in a concensual agreement to that idea, I really really doubt Central 46 would approve it" Urahara replied.

"Those damn dinosaurs!" Ichigo insulted.

"Huh, tell me about it. I know better than anyone about their ancient and neverending shenanigans..." The shop owner sighed. "But anyway, it's getting late. Take Nel-chan to your house and bring her back tomorrow"

"Okay, thank you for everything. We'll go home, then. See you guys tomorrow" Ichigo bid them farewell.

"Bye bye!" Said Nel, who was very entertained as she sat on Ichigo's shoulders.

~~~~X~~~~

Rukia and Orihime had been drinking tea and eating some sweets for a while.

"So, how is everything going in Soul Society?" Orihime asked.

"Well, there have been some changes in a couple squads. But in the end, everything is more or less the same" Rukia replied, having zero interest about details.

"I see..." Orihime replied, although her mind was in another place.

"But... How have you been with... You know, Ichigo and all" Rukia knew the answer, but wanted to give her friend a little push.

"Kurosaki-kun is just... Not well" She sadly replied. "I've tried my best to cheer him up during the last days. To show him that I'm there for him. That everyone's there for him! But like always, I can't seem to pull it off" She finished saying with wet eyes and a breaking voice.

"*sigh* You know better than anyone how thick-headed Ichigo is. Normally, I'd scold him for being that way. However, I think this time it's only natural that he lacks motivation to do anything. It mustn't be easy for him to have lead a life of Substitute Shinigami for two years and suddenly become even more of a human than he already was before"

"Yeah. I know how hard this is for him. But for the same reason, I wish he'd rely on me a little more. Kurosaki-kun seems to be close, but at the same time, he's so far away... Far away from where my heart can reach..." She replied and a couple tears fell down her face.

"Inoue..." Rukia said with pity as she hugged her friend. "Just give him some time. I'm sure that there must be a way for him to recover his powers. Destiny wouldn't be so cruel after everything he has done for the world"

"I hope you're right. Cause I... I just can't stand seeing him unhappy...But" Orihime continued. "I also feel so disgusted at myself"

Rukia listened speechless to her confession.

"When this happened to him, I know I should have felt sad for him. As her friend, I should've at least felt a bit of the pain Kurosaki-kun was dealing with..." Orihime said with a sad smile. "But instead... I felt relieved. Relieved that he wouldn't be in danger anymore. Relieved that we could go back to having normal lives. Relieved... That I had another chance to show him how much I love him" Orihime finished as she looked at Rukia.

"Stupid!" She hit her softly in the head. "How can you say you're disgusted when all your thoughts were pure?!"

"But, I thought his weakness was some kind of opportunity. That's just not right..." She replied.

"While that may be true, that's simply human. It's natural that in order to fulfill an objective you try to take any chance you have to get what you want. You may think it's selfish, or maybe a little crazy to think that way... But that's just how love is" Rukia concluded blushing a little as she hardly ever talked about such a girly and deep topic.

"Rukia-san..." She gasped. "Thank you" She greeted with a couple tears but a radient smile.

Rukia smiled as well, when suddenly she felt a strong Hollow Reiatsu nearby.

"What the-? No way!" She exclaimed looking at the phone, which showed a massive quantity of Hollows in the area.

"What happened?" Asked Orihime.

"It's Hollows and a lot of them! I have no idea what could be happening..." She replied with a hint of fear.

"Unless they were looking for..."

"Ichigo!" Rukia completed.

"They shouldn't be looking for revenge... Kurosaki-kun did nothing wrong! Aizen was manipulating them to achieve his own ambitions"

"Unhopefully, Arrancar aren't the most logical creatures in that sense. We already know how twisted some of them were..." Rukia remembered some of the worst Arrancar they met during their trip to Hueco Mundo.

"T-Then we must save him!" Orihime snapped.

"Wait... I think Ichigo is actually in the safest place he could be right now" She replied.

"He went to see Urahara-san?" Orihime knew which place she meant.

"Yeah. He had the hope that he could help him restore his powers. I don't know how it must have gone for him in that, but at least we know he'll be safe from encountering any revenge-looking Hollows"

"I really hope he's alright" She thought with a hand on her chest.

"Yo, looks like we're back in action!" A familiar male voice said.

"Renji!" Rukia recognized him.

"I don't know what the hell is going on, but almost the whole Gotei 13 has been dispatched. Hollows are appearing all around the Human World, but it seems that this place in particular was the most affected" He said referring to Karakura.

"Whichs Squads were sent here?" Asked Rukia.

"Aside from 6 of course... Squads 3, 5 and 9"

Rukia was shocked. "That means..."

"We have a serious problem at hand if they were sent here" Renji knew what she was thinking.

"I must go help my brother!" She snapped.

"Wait, Rukia! I don't think that's what he'd want. You know him, he'll be alright, but now you're part of Squad 13, the only one ordered to remain in Soul Society"

"Tch..." Rukia grinned her teeth in frustration.

"Don't worry, everything's gonna be fine. Just stay here with Inoue-chan. It would be more dangerous to leave her alone with the current situation"

"I understand" Rukia remembered how Orihime was taken away when she was left alone the last time.

"Well, see you later. I gotta smash some Hollows!"

~~~~X~~~~

Nel and Ichigo had been walking for a while. She seemed fascinated with the thousands of things humans had in their world that she had never seen in Hueco Mundo.

"And what is that?!" She asked astonished.

"That's just a mail box. People who write letters use those" Ichigo replied understanding her ignorance.

"And what is a letter?"

"*sigh* It's a form of communication. You write a paper and put it inside an envelope. However, now that we have these..." He showed her his cellphone. "They are not used as much as before"

"Oh I see. Aizen had brought books and other stuff made of paper but Nel's never seen a letter. Ah, what is that?"

Ichigo was starting to get bothered. "It's a cellphone. You can call people and send mail with it"

"Wow. Nel can't imagine the amount of stuff humans have! It's amazing!"

"Yeah... I don't know about that. When you live in this world, you get used to it pretty quickly"

"Is that so?" She couldn't seem to believe someone could get tired of such a fascinating place.

"Well, Hueco Mundo is quite boring, isn't it?"

"It is. There is not muts to do aside from playing or fighting"

"I thought so" Ichigo remembered how most Arrancar were obsessed with power and fighting. It was no mystery, since it was their way of living. However, was that all there was to Hollows?

"L-Look, Itsygo! There's Shinigami in the sky!" She pointed with her finger.

"Why would-? What am I saying? Of course there would be Shinigami if all Hollows are coming here! Put that hood on and hide your Reiatsu"

"Nel's scared, Itsygo..." She said almost crying.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you, Nel" He pat her head to calm her down.

"Itsygo..." She blushed after hearing such strong words. Ichigo had almost no power left, but Nel was sure that he would still fight for her if she was in danger.

He hurried to his house and jumped into his room thanks to an open window. At least he had enough power to do something so basic.

"Why did we enter like that?" She asked.

"I'd like to keep you a secret if possible. It's kind of a drag explaining things to my dad"

"I see... But wait, aren't you human? Your dad wouldn't be able to see me-"

"Turns out he's a Shinigami. Or at least he used to be. Regardless of his current title, he's still a Soul, so he could see you"

"Would that be too bad?"

"I think it might be a problem"

Nel was about to say something but instead she just looked around the room without knowing what to do.

"Well, make yourself comfortable. I can sleep on the floor, I don't mind"

"No, no. This is your home, Itsygo! Nel can't allow that"

"And what will we do? Are you saying that we should share the bed?"

"Would that bother you...?"

Ichigo thought for a second. "Well, she is like a child in this form. I don't really care if that's the case, and I don't want her to start crying either..."

He put his hand on her head and replied: "No, of course not"

"Yippie!" She celebrated and jumped on the bed.

"Hey, keep it down! If you keep doing things like that, dad's gonna-"

"ICHIGO!" Isshin rushed into the room, crushing the door.

"What the hell are you thinking?!" Ichigo agressively said as he kicked his dad in the face.

"Ow... That hurt. As expected of my son, a simple kick can do good damage... OH!" Isshin shouted as if he had found a hidden treasure.

"Dammit"

"Ichigo, explain yourself! What's the meaning of this? I know that as my son you might have inherited some of my peculiar tastes, but also as my son, you must learn to control your impulses to abduct lolis!"

"It's really not what you think, but I'm not gonna explain it either" Ichigo facepalmed.

"What's your name, little?" Isshin asked Nel.

"Nel Tu"

"Where is your home? I shall be responsible for my son's crude actions"

"Nel doesn't have a home. Itsygo said he would give Nel a home, but now... WAAAA!" She started crying.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! It wasn't my intention! Please don't cry... If you really have nowhere to go, you can stay here" Isshin tried to calm her down.

"Really?" She asked with a broken voice.

"Really. But, where were you planning to leave her, Ichigo?"

"I thought she could sleep in my room. I would've slept on the floor but she wanted me to sleep on my bed with her" After finishing the sentence he realised how wrong it sounded.

"You're deeper into this than I imagined..." Isshin replied disappointed.

"Whatever... Just make her sleep with Karin and Yuzu, it's not like I care!" Ichigo replied bothered.

"But Nel... Nel wanted to sleep with Itsygo!" And she started crying again.

"Oh... I guess there's no other choice. You shall do as she says, Ichigo, but don't you dare try...!"

"I will not, so stop bothering me already!"

"Okay, then. You're free to stay as much as you need, Nel-chan"

"Th-Thank you so muts!" She said with little tears in her eyes.

"*sigh* Now leave, you're making her cry with every sentence you say" Ichigo reptimended him.

"Lucky bastard" Isshin muttered as he left the room.

"I wonder where my sisters are right now. If Karin had been here, she wouldn't have let dad do all this" He said looking at the broken door.

"He's full of energy" Nel observed.

"Totally. He's not very sharp though, as he didn't seem to notice you're a Hollow. That must be thanks to the hood. The first time I saw you I didn't think you were a Hollow either..."

"Yeah, Nel remembers the misunderstanding we created that time"

"Now it is something to laugh about if you think about it. You three were quite bothersome, but our journey wouldn't have been as fun as it was if we hadn't come across you. Not to mention the fact that I would've possibly gotten killed by Nnoitra..." Ichigo felt a chill down his spine as he imagined the fate he'd have faced if that was the case.

"Nel was so scared! Nel didn't want to lose you after all you did for her" She seemed on the border of tears again.

"Don't worry, all that is in the past now. There may be a new menace, but if I restore my powers, mark my words, I'll just beat the Oni and restore the peace"

"Itsygo..." She looked at him astonished with her big hazel eyes.

"Well, it's night already. You wanna eat something or would you call it a day?"

"Hollows don't really need to eat normal food, so I'm fine as it is"

"In case you want to try it I have no problem"

"Maybe tomorrow" She replied as she thought that it would be better if she was in her adult form to do more stuff with Ichigo.

"Okay. I'm totally worn out with all the stuff I have to process, so I'll go ahead and sleep"

"Nel will do the same" She replied as she let herself fall in Ichigo's pillow.

He went to the bathroom and showered. After that he changed into his pajamas and brushed his teeth.

Nel was fast asleep when he came back, so he carefully put her under the blanket and quietly got inside the bed.

"She must be exhausted after all the Reiatsu she used this afternoon. You don't know how grateful I am for what you're doing, Nel" He gently caressed her hair and she smiled in her sleep.

He looked at the moon that shined that night and thought of the Shinigami that were busy dealing with the Hollow exodus.

"I hope everyone's alright. If things are like Nel said, they shouldn't be in danger anyway, although it does make me uneasy not being there. But don't worry, guys. If everything goes well, I'll be back by tomorrow"

He closed his eyes and flipped his body to the opposite side of Nel. Back to back, he sunk deep in slumber.

~~~~X~~~~

"So... What is your excuse to come to the Human World?" The blonde 5th Dividision's Captain asked with his characteristic grin.

"Trust me, I wouldn't mind getting back at you any day, Shinigami! But now it's not the time..." Grimmjow replied as he held a badly wounded Harribel in his arms.

He remembered Shinji from the last time they encountered each other, but revenge wasn't on his mind at the moment.

"Sorry, but this amount of Hollows seemed like a threat to Soul Society. I wouldn't really mind letting you go, but you see... I just recently restored my position and although it's a bit of a drag, I'm kinda happy with it"

"Fuck it. If you wanna fight so badly, I'll give you a fight! Just leave her out of this" The Espada said as he left his female companion on the floor of a large building's rooftop.

Shinji flash-stepped and appeared behind his rival.

"Fine by me. We don't have to go so serious at it either, just make it credible enough that you defeated me" He whispered and then drew his sword with a slash.

Grimmjow evaded the attack and drew his blade as well.

"Nah, if you're gonna fight, you gotta give it your all or it's not worth it!" He replied as he fired a red _Cero_.

"And here I was trying to help you. Oh well... I'll just end this quick" Shinji replied as he pulled out his mask.

"Oh that trick won't help you anymore. I've been training every day during the past weeks and since the morning all I've done is fight relentlessly! you better get ready, Shinigami... Grind, _Pantera__!"_

Grimmjow extended his Zanpakuto and scratched its blade to awaken it.

A moment after, he transfromed into his _Resurrección_, which was the only way he thought of that would let him defeat Shinji in his masked form.

A vast amount of Reiatsu was felt through Karakura Town.

"Now you've done it... How do you pretend to get away with this after telling everyone in the area that you are dangerous?" Shinji maskpalmed.

"Easy. I'll just beat you quickly and disappear. I doubt your mates are free enough to come help you anyway"

"True that, but are you sure you can take me on even after taking that form? We have no restriction for this mission due to the threat it posed"

"See for yourself!"

Grimmjow jumped at shinji and slashed relentlessly with his panther claws.

The Captain blocked the inexhaustible savage attack of his enemy with difficulty.

"He's being reckless, but at the same time, I can't find an opening" He thought as he kept moving his Zanpakuto from one place to another to block, while stepping back constantly.

"How do you like that?!" The Espada said as he jumped doing a somersault to finish in a devastating kick.

Shinji fell hard into the concrete ground below them.

"Damn, that hurt..." He said as he got up again.

He was about to counter when he noticed a number of giant blue slashes coming at him.

"Ah... Shit" He muttered as he noticed his situation.

"**_DESGARRÓN_**" Shouted Grimmjow as he used his most powerful attack.

Shinji evaded the first two just by dodging, but the rest of slashes were too difficult.

"Well, at least I tried. Despite his aggressive attitude, I can feel that they are not up to anything bad. Thanks to his attack, now I have enough proof to say it was too dangerous to continue" The Captain thought as he fled from the battle. "Good luck, pal"

Grimmjow looked for him but couldn't find a single trace of the Shinigami. He felt a bit disappointed by this since his body was aching for a fight, but in his mind, he knew that it was better to end it as quickly as possible and take Harribel somewhere safe.

"We came to this world cause we had no other choice, but now, even though I hate to admit it... Who would help us?" He thought as he ran in the opposite direction to the Shinigami pursuing him. "I used _Pesquisa _and all trying to find Ichigo, but I can't even get a glimpse of his presence..."

Thanks to his _Resurrección_, he was able to completely lose his pursuers in a matter of minutes. He didn't have much Reiatsu left at this point though, so he was forced to go back to his normal form afterwards. He felt really tired as he carried the queen of Hueco Mundo through Karakura Town. Harribel had been dormant during most of the events, and although she was slowly regaining consciousness, her body didn't even allow her to stay half-awake for too long, due to the pain and exhaustion remnant from the invasion.

"She stayed back to fight those Demons even knowing how strong they were. I was surprised that she managed to defeat so many and still have energy left to challenge Ulquiorra. That bastard... He didn't even use his _Resurrección_. Is he even an Arrancar? He looked exactly the same as when we were in Aizen's army, but his power is at a completely different level. It sickens me. I never fought him using his full potential, but I'm sure he was strong. Only he was able to truly beat him, and I'm pretty sure that if someone has a chance of beating him once and for all, that's him" He remembered the face of his favorite rival.

"My, my..." A familiar male voice said.

"Who the hell?" Grimmjow reacted immediately drawing out his sword.

"Hey, no need for that, I'm here to help. I heard Hueco Mundo was in trouble" Urahara said to calm him down.

"How do you know?" He asked him with a menacing look.

"I already have two Arrancar guests at my humble shop. I wouldn't mind making room for another pair. I can see that she's not in the best shape..." He offered in a friendly way to try to persuade the Espada.

"Heh, and what makes you think I'm just gonna trust you? You're clearly a Shinigami!" He cut his hand in purpose and was charging a particularly dangerous _Cero_.

"H-Hey, calm down a little! I have no intention of hurting you or your girlfriend!" Kisuke tried to calm him down.

Grimmjow was determined to blast a _Gran Rey Cero_ until he heard a voice behind him.

"No... Grimm...jow..."

"Huh?" He looked back.

Tier Harribel was hardly opening her eyes, but she noticed the situation and tried to make him reason.

"I somehow know... He's only trying... To help" She spoke and then lost consciousness again.

"Tch..." He made a sound of disapproval but stopped charging his attack. "You better be telling the truth"

"Of course. You can stay as long as you need to heal your wounds"

"I'm fine! Though... Some medical treatment wouldn't do her any bad..."

"You're quite the Tsundere, aren't you?"

"Sh-Shut the fuck up! And also, she's not my girlfriend!"

"Sorry, sorry. I was just teasing you a little... We should start moving. Follow me" Urahara said as he felt the Reiatsu of other Shinigami getting closer.

"Whatever..." The Espada replied as he picked up Harribel bridal style and did as Kisuke told him.

~~~~X~~~~

"Huh? What's going on? Where am I?" Nelliel thought as she raised her head.

She was laying on the ground. A great infinite plain of black sand was all she could see around her. She tried to recognize the place, but was unable to.

To get a better view she tried to stand up, but before she could, the expansive wave of a giant explosion sent her flying.

After falling to the ground she noticed what was happening.

A Hollow of white body and jet black bat wings, claws and legs was fighting.

"What was his name? Wasn't he called... Ulquiorra?"

From her angle she couldn't see who he was fighting, so she stood up and ran to the top of the dune to see the battle.

"Who is that?" She muttered as the other Hollow screamed with rage.

It was a white Vasto Lorde with horns in his head and long orange hair.

"That hair... It's longer, but it looks just like... Ichigo?!"

The Vasto Lorde charged a great red _Cero_ from its horns and blasted it full force at Ulquiorra.

He evaded it, but the Vasto Lorde flash-stepped so fast that it seemed like teleportation. Ulquiorra had no chance to escape his enemy as he was hit by a black blade and thrown into the sand.

After hitting the ground, the Espada pointed his finger and charged a _Cero Oscuras_ to counter.

The white Vasto Lorde protected himself with the blade, but the _Cero_ managed to deal him a certain amount of damage. He screamed in anger as he touched his damaged torso and charged viciously at Ulquiorra.

From the distance, Nelliel could see how Ulquiorra moved his lips, but couldn't decipher what he was saying.

After he finished speaking, a cloud of darkness and green lightnings engulfed him.

A crushing Reiatsu brought her to her knees. Out of the dark cloud appeared Ulquiorra, now with three pairs of black fallen angel wings, demonic horns coming out of his head and green irises with black sclera on his eyes. On his body, a long tunic formed, covering his legs, while the rest of his body had a white color of skin in which the moon reflected its shine.

The Vasto Lorde, which by now Nelliel was completely sure it was Ichigo, confronted Ulquiorra one more time, but unfortunately for him, it was the end.

From the nightsky fell a long weapon she identified as some kind of lance. The Espada grabbed it and charged it with Reiatsu, to immediately hit Ichigo with it and, with his other hand, throw a tremendous green lance of pure Reiatsu at him.

"No... No... No! ICHIGO!" She yelled as she saw his silhouette being disintegrated in the attack, raising her hand from the sand as if she was trying to reach him.

Until she suddenly woke up with tears in her eyes and holding Ichigo tightly in her embrace.

"Ungh... Nel?" He muttered as he slowly woke up, not even opening his eyes.

"Ichigo... Thank God!" She said as she held him with even more strength.

She felt every ton of negativity inside of her turn into relief and happiness.

"Wait, Nel! I can't breathe...!" He tried to say before noticing. "Wait a minute. This strength, this... Softness?!" He thought as he realised she had transformed into her adult form.

"Sorry... I'm just so glad..." She put her head against his as she embraced him with tears of happiness running down her cheeks.

"What happened, Nel?" He asked her with a worried look and washed her tears away with his hand.

"I... I had a nightmare..." She blushed as she felt childish due to the idea that a mere dream made her so upset.

"Oh... I can't even imagine how terrible it must have been if you ended up transforming" He pointed out.

"Huh?" Nelliel realised at that moment that she had gone back to her original age, at least for the moment. "You're right! I hadn't noticed..."

"Well, whatever it was, it's gone now" He tried to calm her down by patting her head.

"I'm sorry for the trouble, Ichigo... But it was so real!"

"Then, would you like to talk about it? Only if it'll make you any good, of course"

"It might sound ridiculous... But I... I saw you die" She told him very serious.

"Really? How?" He became curious about such a terrible fate.

Nelliel doubted for a moment if she should tell Ichigo. A part of her felt that it was only a dream, but there was also something telling her that it was more than that.

"You were fighting... That fourth Espada, Ulquiorra. But to say the truth, it wasn't really you. It was like, you had become a Vasto Lorde"

"It can't be...!" He said out loud. "Nel wasn't in Las Noches during my battle with Ulquiorra, she couldn't possibly know how I looked in that form" He thought.

"Does something about my dream bother you?" She asked worried as well.

"Should I tell her that I once became a Vasto Lorde?" He thought, to finally reply: "No... Not really. It's just that I know for a fact that Ulquiorra is dead. I... I killed him" He lied.

"I heard that as well... Maybe I'm just afraid cause when the Oni invaded, a giant green _Cero_ flew across the sky. I hadn't thought about it in that moment, but maybe my subconscious linked that to him. After all... The time we encountered him was really shocking" She remembered.

Ichigo deviated Ulquiorra's green _Cero_ and escaped Las Noches to protect Nel. However, Ulquiorra was faster and stronger. He caught up to them and sent the two flying into a pillar, to finally almost kill Ichigo by digging a hole into his chest, in the same place where the nihilist Espada had his Hollow Hole. Nelliel didn't remember everything clearly, as she almost passed out instantly after she was tossed by Ulquiorra, but she clearly remembered how helpless she felt when she saw Ichigo dying. Remembering such scene, filled her with determination as to never let something like that happen ever again.

"It was a nightmare to remember..." She said full of despair.

"Don't worry, I'm alright. There's nothing to be afraid of"

"But... I think it's time I am truly able to protect you as well. I don't want you to get hurt like that time with Ulquiorra or then with Nnoitra. I don't ever wanna look at your inanimate body as I curse my own weakness. I don't... I don't want to imagine living in a world without you, Ichigo!" She declared, just like her Zanpakuto.

"Nel..." He could only say after seeing her so determined for the first time, as well as realising his position. "Am I that important... To her?" He thought as he became lost in the powerful gaze of her hazel eyes.

"I wanna be strong, Ichigo. I want to fight by your side. I want... To protect you... In the same way you protected me" She concluded.

"I... I never thought that you cared so much for me" He blushed a little as he said his thoughts.

"Well, I... I don't know how to explain it either. It's just, a feeling here in my chest. Something that's sometimes heavy as a block of iron and other times light as a feather. Something that fills me with sadness when I see or think about you getting hurt, but that fills me with joy when I know you're happy or safe" She blushed as well and closed her eyes as she gave him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen in his life.

Ichigo felt that her description could only match one feeling in the human library. Not only that, but every time Nel said something like that to him, he felt strange as well. The first time, he wasn't sure that it was something good, but now this strange feeling only seemed to make him happy.

Suddenly, he felt the need to touch her face. To feel her smooth skin in the palm of his hand and the tip of his fingers.

"Huh?" She was surprised at Ichigo's reaction, but at the same time she loved the way he was touching her.

"You're so beautiful, Nel" He said his thoughts out loud, since he was so immersed in his feelings that he didn't realise it.

Seeing her as a fully grown woman, forgetting about the kid he once knew was a piece of cake. Her cute yet mature personality only confirmed that idea, and she was undoubtedly beautiful, so much he instantly blushed just from looking at her straight in her hazel orbs.

Now, Nel felt a different urge. Something she had never felt in her whole life. She stared deeply at Ichigo's brown eyes and then she looked at his mouth.

"What is this? What am I thinking?" She thought as she felt the desire to feel Ichigo's lips against hers.

Ichigo, despite logically understanding the situation, had zero experience with girls. He didn't know what he was supposed to do, although his instincts were clearly telling him to do the same the girl wanted, but he wasn't sure about it. Could Hollows even _feel_ that way? Did _HE_ feel that way about her...?

In the end however, their bodies moved unintentionally, slowly heading each towards the other's lips, but suddenly.

"Good morning, Ichigo! Sorry for not repairing your door yesterday, but I stayed at a friend's house with Yuzu" Karin entered his room.

"Shit, the door!" He remembered.

"So what were you...?" She stopped right in her tracks as she noticed a beautiful girl with turquoise hair and, for some reason a cracked skull in her head, by Ichigo's side.

"Wait, she can see her!" Ichigo thought as Karin's look was obviously directed at the place where Nelliel was.

"*sigh* I'm not gonna ask anything cause I'm not like the other two, but get ready for a celebration..." She warned as the steps of her father and sister were heard as they got closer to the room.

"Ichigo! How did Nel-chan slee-? Oh my God!" Isshin suddenly ran out of the room.

Ichigo knew he had gone to tell his mom's poster that he became a man or something of some sorts.

"What's up with him?" Yuzu asked oblivious of the situation since she couldn't see spirits.

"No way..." Karin muttered as she noticed. "That means that this girl... That skull... She's a Hollow?!" She thought.

Isshin came back into the room as energetically as always.

"Okay... so let me get this straight, Ichigo. Judging by her hair, I can more or less get an idea of what you did... So I'm going to try and guess the whole story-"

"Dad!" Ichigo tried to call his attention as Yuzu was in the room.

"No interruptions until I finish" He replied seriously as he closed his eyes and pointed his index finger upward as if there was a magical cloud on top of it in charge of shaping everything he was going to say.

"For fuck's sake..."

"So... Ichigo was having a normal day, until he came across an unprecedented beauty having a hard time. For the first time in his life, his instincts told him that he could not ignore this older woman. He used his natural talent as a man of the Kurosaki family to speak to her and try to make her fall in love with him.

However, there was a problem. Turns out that the woman and her little daughter had been abandoned by the father, which not only gave away the age difference she had with Ichigo, but also meant a new responsibility in his life.

Any average man would've ran away as soon as this obstacle presented itself, but my son, acting as a real prime alpha male, decided to help this woman and her daughter with no hesitation.

All this dramatic chain of events brought us to yesterday's night, when Ichigo brought the little girl to take care of her while the woman was busy.

Proving his parental ability as well as how dependable he was, the woman decided to accept Ichigo as her new husband, who will take care of her and her daughter for the rest of his life.

My son, has truly become a man. And a man I can be proud of!" He finished, letting a few tears of happiness.

After he finished telling such an unbelievable story, Ichigo was facepalming and Nelliel looked at him strangely as well as his daughters.

"Dad, what the hell are you saying? Ichigo is all by himself" Yuzu said not understanding.

Isshin, quickly understanding what was going on, replied with a good cover: "Of course... I forgot to tell you that today I was going to practice for when that day truly comes, Yuzu"

"Ah... I see" She replied calmly as she knew her dad very well, or so she thought.

"Oh, I forgot to buy some things for breakfast. Could you girls go get some eggs and bread?" He said as he gave Karin 2,000¥, as well as a serious look.

"Okay" She replied. "Let's go, Yuzu" She took her by the arm and left the room.

"Bye, Ichigo, see you later!" Said Yuzu.

After the girls left the house, Isshin gave Nelliel a better look. As soon as he noticed her skull, he had an idea of the actual situation.

"*sigh* Would you mind explaining me what's happening, Ichigo? Cause I know perfectly well that yesterday, Soul Society was having a lot of trouble because of... Well...This" He pointed at Nelliel.

"I guess there is no other choice..." He muttered.

"No. All of this is my fault, so I'm gonna explain" She replied.

"I don't care who does it and no one will be at fault either. I just want to know exactly what I'm dealing with" Isshin clarified.

"Alright. I'll start from the beginning, Kurosaki-san" She said seriously.

* * *

**And that was Chapter 2! I had a little busy week, but I still had time to write this one. It was a pretty mixed chapter so I even had trouble naming it, but that's what made it wholesome as well.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed it, and now I'll head to Reviews (which makes me really happy, keep them going!):**

**Mugetsu1996: _Nice start and it has Ichigo Paired with Nel cant wait for more._**

**Reply: Glad you liked it, and I added more IchiNel stuff in this chapter that I hope you enjoyed! Of course I'll go steady with that, I hate rushing things, but step by step all roads lead Rome *insert heart***

**Guest: _Thank you for posting, it was a really nice prologue !Hell's nature in Bleach is not really explained, I think that except in the first chapters it is mostly forgotten. The demons you describe are cool, I'm glad you made them loook monstruous and not human-like like the Arrancars. Is Ulquiorra still a Hollow though ? Or did he evolve into a demon ?I can't wait to find out more about this universe._**

**Reply: Well, that was the main reason I decided to pick the Oni as the main antagonists. What are their motives? In time we'll know. About Ulquiorra, Grimmjow revealed a bit of information about his current state so I hope you get an idea (I won't give a clear answer yet of course, but you will get it eventually). Also, I wouldn't really use the term _evolve_ to describe the change from Hollow to Oni, as they are completely different species of souls, but that's irrelevant anyway.**

**Black Bankai: _That was awesome._**

**Reply: Thanks a lot for the support, always appreciated!**

**See you all next time! Evhron out.**


	3. The Return

"I see... So that's how you ended up here" Isshin said after hearing Nelliel's whole explanation.

"Yes. My brothers are staying with Urahara-san, while I... I preferred to stay by Ichigo's side" She got a bit red as she confessed that.

"No problem. I'm actually glad that he has your company. He's been down in the dumps ever since he started losing his powers, so any friend that comes to visit him, be it human, Soul or... Well, Hollow, is welcome!"

"I've been fine... Just a little bored" Ichigo replied with crossed arms.

"Anyway, the fact is that all Hollows escaped Hueco Mundo because of an invasion done by the Oni" Isshin concluded.

"Correct" She replied.

Isshin sighed in sign of worry. "Just after dealing with Aizen, this happens... It may be just a hunch, but I get the feeling that the Oni won't stop after conquering Hueco Mundo"

"Then with more reason I have no time to lose!" Ichigo said all fired up.

"Ichigo..." Isshin sadly replied as he looked at his almost powerless son.

He was about to remind him about his condition, but he chose not to.

"Ichigo, shouldn't we go see Urahara?" Nelliel reminded him.

"You're right! Let's go at once!" Ichigo got quickly out of the bed and grabbed his Badge.

"W-Wait!" She tried to call his attention, but failed.

"Let's go, Nel!" He said in his Shinigami form.

"Wait, Ichigo..." She replied with a soft voice. "My clothes..."

Nel was covering her breasts with her hands since her green cloth had been torn apart when she transformed. She was fine before, since the bed's cover was concealing her body, but after Ichigo's impulsive actions she had to act quick to not be seen by Isshin who was right in front of her.

"Oh... Sorry, Nel. I think I left your Yukata around here..." He replied as he looked for it in his closet. "Dad, don't you dare-!"

"Don't worry, son. I've seen enough" He replied in a cool manner as he exited the room with his back turned. "Just... Make sure you don't let her go"

Ichigo got a bit red by that comment and then he sighed in relief as he gave Nel her clothes.

"Sorry for that. It must've been pretty awkward" He apologized while scratching the back of his head.

"No, don't worry. Your dad looked another way as soon as he noticed my little situation"

"I'm gonna go outside so you can change"

"Okay, I'll be quick"

Two minutes later Nelliel came to Ichigo all dressed and ready to go.

"Very well then, let's go see Urahara!" He told her, unable to contain his excitement.

"Yes!" She happily replied, since she loved seeing Ichigo so motivated.

Once at the shop, no one was waiting for them in the entrance.

"Pesche? Dondochakka?" Nelliel called.

Immediately, two figures appeared in front of them.

"Good morning Nel-sama!" Greeted Pesche.

"And don't forget about Ichigo-sama!" Dondochakka reminded him.

"Oh! Now Nel-sama is in her normal form! Did something happen?" Asked Pesche.

Ichigo gave a troubled look at Nelliel, but she preferred not to worry them.

"It's nothing. I was just practicing my transformation" She lied.

"So it was just that..." Dondochakka replied with relief.

"Where's Urahara?" Ichigo asked.

"Boss is downstairs at the training ground. He is checking up on a pair of Arrancar he found during the night" Pesche replied.

"Boss?" Nelliel repeated confused.

"It's just a way I started calling him since he's making us work to pay for the room" The blonde Arrancar replied.

"We were actually carrying some boxes when we heard your voice, Nel-sama" Added his brother.

"Urahara never changes... Well, we gotta go see him, so you guys stay here at the shop" Ichigo told them.

"Understood, Ichigo-sama!" The two replied full of determination.

"What's with the _sama_?" He asked Nelliel as they headed towards the training grounds.

"It's their way of showing respect for you. After all, you saved me, so it's to be expected that they treat you like that now" Nelliel replied with her sweet voice.

"I see... I'm not so sure about that though. Like I said before, if it wasn't for you, maybe I would've been killed"

"C'mon, Ichigo, there's no comparison. You got all beat up countless times for my sake..." She sadly remembered.

"And I'd do it again. I don't care how bad I have it. As long as my friends are okay, I won't regret anything" He replied with a smile.

"That's what I like about you the most" She whispered to herself.

"Did you say anything?"

"No, I was just talking to myself!" She replied a bit red.

The two entered the training grounds, and became very surprised as they saw two especially powerful Arrancar passed out on sleeping bags.

"Yo, Kurosaki-san! Nel-chan!" Saluted Urahara as he saw them enter.

"No way... That's Harribel-san!" Nelliel exclaimed as she noticed the queen of Hueco Mundo.

"And... That's none other than Grimmjow" Muttered Ichigo in disbelief.

"Oh, these poor guys were wounded and exhausted yesterday, so I thought that I could help them regain their energies given the current situation" He carelessly replied.

"Hey, Nel. Is that the actual queen of Hueco Mundo?" Ichigo asked her as he gave a look at the exotic looking female Arrancar.

"Yes. I had never been so close to her before, but I had heard of her great beauty and power" She replied as she got close to get a better look at her.

"I managed to heal her, but she'll probably be a couple days asleep to recover fully" The shop owner clarified.

"What happened to her?" Ichigo asked.

"According to our wild friend here..." He looked at Grimmjow. "She fought hordes of Demons on her own. He wasn't able to finish the story before he collapsed, but for the wounds she had, it was more like she had faced another Arrancar"

"What? How is that?" Asked Ichigo.

"She had burn marks that were clearly produced by a _Cero_. I know for a fact that the Oni don't have such kind of attacks. Of course, I have my theories, but it's best just to wait for her to wake up and tell us"

Nelliel remembered the green _Cero_ she saw that night and felt a shiver go down her spine.

"Are you alright?" Ichigo asked her after he noticed her reaction.

"Yeah, I'm fine"

"Anyways. This proves how much we need you back in the game, Ichigo. Even, if you don't mind, it'd be great to have you fight as well, Nel-chan" Urahara offered as he got a white armband out of his pocket.

"What is that?" She asked curiosly.

"Put it on. That's the short-term solution to your shapeshifting problems"

She did as he told her and wore it on her left arm.

"Feel any different?" Ichigo asked her.

"Not really. Does it really work?"

"Believe me it does. Why don't you try finishing what we started yesterday to prove it?" Kisuke said as he got the special Hogyoku out of his pocket.

"It won't wake up those two?" Ichigo asked doubtful.

"Don't worry, they are more than fast asleep" Urahara replied.

"Okay" She decided.

Once again, she raised her Reiatsu while holding the artifact. This time she decided to trust Urahara, so she tripled the amount of Reiatsu she was letting out.

Ichigo felt her Reiatsu. It was indeed very powerful, but at the same time it was kind of soothing to him.

"You're so powerful, Nel. If only you realised how strong you really are" He thought as he looked at her charging the Hogyoku.

Five minutes later, the sphere inside the Hogyoku stopped shining.

"It's ready" Said Urahara.

"How do you feel?" Ichigo asked her.

"Great! This thing really works!" She replied excited and proudly showed the armband. "Thanks, Urahara-san"

"Don't mention it" He replied with a smile.

Ichigo looked at the object and took a deep breath.

"Are you ready, Kurosaki-kun?" The shop owner asked.

Ichigo felt weird about the situation. In a way, he didn't want to use it because he still had hope that he would be able to regain his Reiatsu on his own. On the other hand, Urahara and Nelliel had made a good effort to help him, so it would be disgraceful not to do it, without mentioning the fact that he was eager to get his powers back in any possible way.

In the end, there was only one answer, and he clearly knew what it was:

"Yeah. Let's do this"

Urahara gave him the Hogyoku in the palm of his hand.

"Now, remember when I told Nel-chan that she didn't have to press it while charging it?"

"Yes, I remember something like that"

"Good. Now I tell you the opposite. Press it as hard as you can while you raise your Reiatsu"

"Understood" He replied seriously.

He looked at Nelliel before initiating the process. The smile she gave him was the last thing he needed to do it.

"Well, here goes nothing..."

He did as Kisuke instructed him. Now the whole Hogyoku was shining inside of his hand.

As this occurred, he felt a strange heat inside of him. As if a blue flame was intensely burning inside his soul.

"HaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" He yelled as he felt his Reiatsu rising.

After a couple more seconds, the cube cracked. Once, twice, thrice. In the end, the Hogyoku was shattered, letting out a blinding light that forced Urahara and Nelliel to close their eyes.

When they opened them again, Ichigo was standing proudly in front of them. There was no physical change, but as soon as he let out his Reiatsu, it was clear that his powers were back.

"So, how's it?" Kisuke asked him.

"I don't really know... How about...?" He said as he grabbed his Zanpakuto. "_Getsuga Tenshou!"_

A giant slice of Reiatsu shattered a whole mountain that was in the training ground.

"Not as powerful as when I battled Aizen, but I guess I can work with this" He replied in a cool way, but inside, he couldn't have felt happier.

"I'll be the one to judge that" Said a familiar voice Ichigo hadn't heard in a while.

As soon as he turned around, he saw a particularly enthusiastic Arrancar asking for a fight. He showed no signs of recently waking up, despite having been asleep a couple seconds before. After all, he was a natural fighter.

"Grimmjow, it's been a while. Are you sure you wanna fight right now? Urahara told me you were very tired..." He replied with a grin, as he knew that the Espada would get worked up with that.

"Ha! Don't make me laugh... I'm always in perfect condition to kick your ass!" He replied as he punched the air.

"Fine by me, but no crying after I break the shit out of you!" Ichigo pointed Zangetsu at the Arrancar.

Urahara and Nelliel stood by and just watched.

"Is this alright?" She asked the shop owner.

"If he feels like he's ready to give it a go, who am I to deny his wishes? Also, I'm curious to see how powerful is Ichigo right now" Kisuke replied, wondering why he didn't take a couple snacks to enjoy the fight.

"I guess you're right" She replied a bit unsure. She didn't want Ichigo to get hurt after he just got his powers back, but seeing his enthusiasm, she decided to comply with his desire to fight.

"Let's go!" The two rivals said as they charged towards one another.

Ichigo activated his Bankai, but did not summon the Hollow mask. He wanted to try his strength in that stage first.

"I don't recommend not using that mask. I've become stronger during the last weeks" Grimmjow said.

"Really? Then stop talking and show me" Dared Ichigo.

The Espada used _Sonido_ to attack Ichigo from the back, but he saw his movement and blocked with his blade.

After that, he countered with a black and red _Getsuga_ from point blank range. Grimmjow wasn't able to block it fully, so he shot a _Cero_ to cancel the rest of the attack.

"Ah, that reminds me, please refrain from using devastating attacks like _Gran Rey Cero_!" Urahara shouted at them.

"Looks like we'll have to wait a little to go all out..." Grimmjow said in reply to the request of the shop owner.

"Don't worry. Once we get Hueco Mundo back, we can have a full-fledged battle like the last time" Ichigo replied.

They kept clashing with their swords. Sometimes Grimmjow managed to deal a blow or two with his punches and kicks, but Ichigo countered easily with a swing of his Zanpakuto.

He hadn't felt so alive ever since he lost his powers. The battle Ichigo was having was an unimaginable event until the day before, but now that was history.

Now, his Reiatsu only rose as he clashed against his Hollow rival, who was just as motivated to fight. They continued fighting in the air to let it all out.

"Thanks, Urahara. Thanks, Nel. Thank, God... For I have the chance to fight again!" He thought as he sent a barrage of _Getsuga Tenshou_ at Grimmjow, who evaded the most but was ultimately hit by the last three.

Grimmjow fell to the ground, but withstood it pretty well with his blade.

"Heh, it's been nice..." He started saying. "But I think we're done warming up, aren't we?"

"You're totally right. Show me a real fight, Grimmjow!" Ichigo replied as he got his Hollow mask out.

"_Grind,_ _**Pantera**!"_

After both transformations, the Reiatsu in the training ground became really dense. Nelliel and Urahara got a bit worried about Harribel, who started moving uncomfortably in her sleep, probably reacting to the fierce battle happening only a couple hundreds of meters from her.

"They are not gonna stop, are they?" She asked.

"Probably not. But don't worry, I'm pretty sure I can handle them. I wouldn't mind if you lent me a hand with that, actually" Urahara replied.

"I'm pretty sure I'm stronger than Grimmjow at the very least, but I'm not sure I can handle him in his _Resurrección_"

"Oh right, I almost forgot to tell you. That armband has a limitation. It probably won't hold too much if you use your _Resurrección_"

"How much time would I have?"

"I'm not sure, but probably from five to ten minutes at most"

"I understand... However. Is there a way to heal my skull entirely?"

"I have someone in mind who might be able to help with that" He replied with a hopeful smile. "In the meantime, try to increase your powers in your current state, but don't overdo it"

"Okay"

Grimmjow slashed his way through Ichigo's attacks until he was able to hit him directly.

Ichigo used his sword to control his fall, but the Espada appeared from the side and striked again.

"C'mon, I know you can do better than _that_!" He tried to provoke Ichigo.

"Tch... _Getsuga Tenshou_!" He did the same attack.

"You're no fun... if you keep attacking the same way, I'll just see through all your movements!"

"Are you sure?" Asked Ichigo as he sliced Grimmjow in the back.

"What the-?!"

"A diversion, of course. Get real, Grimmjow!" Now it was Ichigo who provoked his rival.

The wild Arrancar jumped before falling to the ground and took a special position in the air.

"Now you've done it! **_Desgarrón_**!"

He was about to slice the air with his claws, when he felt someone put his hand on his shoulder.

"Enough, buddy" Urahara told him with a smile but very fearsome aura.

"Or what?!" The Arrancar dared.

Urahara didn't reply and instead he hit Grimmjow with his Zanpakuto faster than he could react and tossed him into the ground.

"Bakudou 63: _Sajou Sabaku_!" Chanted Urahara as he strongly binded an already weakened Espada.

"What the hell is this?!" He asked angrily.

"Insurance. You guys battled, had fun for a while, but enough is enough"

"And why am I the only one getting the stick?"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that..." Said Urahara as he looked at Ichigo, who had been immobilized by Nelliel with a leg lock.

"But Nel, we were just having fun!" He protested.

"Sorry, Ichigo, but I think you guys went a little overboard with your sparring. Don't worry, there are plenty of Demons in Hueco Mundo waiting to fight you" She tried to comfort him.

"I guess you're right... Now, could you let me go?"

"Um... What is the magic word?" She put an innocent face with her index finger in her cheek.

"Please?!" Now Ichigo was getting upset as it was starting to hurt.

"Of course Ichigo, anything for you!" She let go of the lock and gave him a little hug instead.

"Thanks, Nel" He said after she let go and retrieved the Hollow mask from his face.

After that, he gave a look at the field. It was in that moment that he realised the destruction their battle had caused.

"It seems we did go a little overboard" He admitted.

"But despite that, I'm glad to see you so happy. It makes every ounce of Reiatsu I poured into that thing more than worth it" She replied with a smile.

"Hey, Nel. Thank you. Like, you have no idea of just how happy you made me by helping in getting my powers back. I really don't know how to repay you"

"You don't have to do anything, just letting me stay by your side is more than enough. I'm so happy that I found you, and it makes me even happier that I could help you" Her kind words and her cute voice made Ichigo red as a strawberry.

"Well, if that's what you want... Then I won't leave you alone, ever again" He swore as serious as he could.

Once again, she felt the strange feeling in her chest, at the same time as she wanted to taste his lips.

"Would it be too weird if I asked for...?" She thought as she stared at Ichigo.

She was building up the courage to ask him what she really wanted, when a group of people entered the training ground.

"I should've assumed that it was your doing..."

Ichigo tilted his head towards the voice. Uryuu was standing firmly with his hand on his glasses.

"Of course. I had to let you guys know that I was back" Ichigo replied to the Quincy with a smug face.

Chad and Rukia appeared from behind him.

"That means you're done crying like a baby for your lost powers?" Rukia asked ironically.

"Yeah... From now on, just training and getting stronger to fight some Demons"

"Demons? What do you mean?" Asked Chad.

"Sorry, I forgot you guys didn't know about that..."

"Kurosaki-kun!" Shouted a female voice.

Orihime came running from behind the rest of her friends right at Ichigo. She could feel how happy he was, which made her really happy as well.

"Inoue!"

As she ran towards Ichigo, she felt how the weight of the world was lifted from her heart. She couldn't control herself from jumping and embracing Ichigo as soon as it was possible.

"I'm so glad you got your Shinigami powers back, Kurosaki-kun!"

"Yeah. Though it wouldn't have been possible without the help of Urahara... And Nel"

"Huh?" Orihime suddenly let go of him and looked at his side.

The turquoise haired Arrancar was there smiling at her with open arms.

"Nel-cha... I mean Nel-san! How have you been?" She hugged her, although she still couldn't entirely process the event.

"No way... Is that... Nel?!" Uryuu couldn't believe his eyes.

"Yeah. It's a long story, but this is her real form" Ichigo explained.

"She has the same hair color, scar and broken skull" Chad pointed out.

"Now that you mention it, it couldn't have been more obvious" Uryuu admitted embarrassed.

"Great! Or well, the invasion of Hueco Mundo aside... Everything's been fine" She replied Orihime's question.

"Invasion? What happened?" She looked towards Ichigo.

He was about to explain but Urahara stopped him.

"I think it's best if we all discuss this upstairs with some tea" Urahara invited.

"Hey! First get me out of here!" Grimmjow demanded.

"Um... Sorry, maybe later. Just relax and you'll fall asleep in no time, really"

"God-damn Shi-ni-ga-mi!!!" He yelled.

"Isn't that?!" Rukia recognized him, and it wasn't a good memory.

"Yeah, that's Grimmjow" Ichigo confirmed.

"I think I'll take Urahara-san's offer" Uryuu replied after getting a headache with the whole situation.

Once everyone was at the table, Pesche and Dondochakka helped to serve the tea.

"Uryuu, it's been so long... How is everything going?" Pesche asked him.

"Well enough. It seems you guys have been having it rough, though"

"Yeah, but these last two days have been really nice here in the world of the living"

"Where is the other Shinigami... The one with the red hair, what was he called? Ranji... Runji..." Dondochakka asked.

"Renji!" Rukia corrected.

"Renji, that was it..." The hard-face Arrancar replied.

"He couldn't come today. After all the night's ruckus he must've been really tired" Rukia explained.

"That's too bad..." Pesche added.

"So, what happened to Hueco Mundo?" Rukia asked very curious, since she wanted to know the root of the most recent problem in Soul Society.

"It got invaded by the Oni" replied Urahara.

"Oni... You mean the wardens of Jigoku? Why would they want to conquer anything?" She didn't seem to make sense of it.

"I've been thinking about that for a while, but I don't seem to have enough intel to come up with that answer yet" The shop owner admitted.

"And I assume that because of that invasion, every Hollow with a bit of intelligence escaped to the Human World" Uryuu deduced.

"It makes sense. Despite the efforts of Soul Society, only Adjuchas type of Hollows were captured or killed during the mission" Rukia informed.

"Were they fighting back?" Ichigo asked.

"Not really. Everyone that encountered an Arrancar was hit by a weak attack or wasn't dealt at all. The ones who _did_ attack used hit and run tactics, so I don't think we could say it was really a battle" She admitted.

"At the very least, we didn't want to hurt anyone. That's why when we escaped, we immediately followed Ichigo's Reiatsu" Explained Nel.

"And thank God you did. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have my powers right now..." He gave a grateful look at Nelliel, who smiled back at him.

"Exactly. How did you even get your powers back?" Rukia asked.

"Hey, Urahara... Can we tell them?" He asked for confirmation.

"Hum... As long as everything stays between us, yes"

"He made a Hogyoku" Ichigo revealed.

"No way...!" Almost everyone muttered.

"It wasn't the same kind that Aizen had though. I designed a type of Hogyoku that impulsed the user's Reiatsu and had only one use. After Kurosaki-kun regained his powers, it was destroyed and left no trace whatsoever" The shop owner clarified.

"To restore my Reiatsu fully, it needed both Shinigami and Hollow Reiatsu. The problem was, getting the Hollow kind in this world would be very difficult normally. However, after the three came here, Urahara explained the idea and Nel offered herself to charge the Hollow Reiatsu needed. I can't thank her enough for that"

"It's nothing, Ichigo. It's the least I could do after all you did for me..." She blushed a little as she hugged him, since she was by his side.

Everyone thought it was a cute scene, except for Orihime, who felt her heart slowly getting crushed. After all the time she spent with Ichigo, after everything she tried during the past weeks, another girl came and magically restored his powers.

"I'm useless..." She thought. "There is just no competition. I'm not nearly as strong or beautiful as she is. And even worse, while I couldn't do anything to help Kurosaki-kun... She turned out to be the key to his happiness. I... I guess he doesn't need me in his life anymore..." Tears started falling through her cheeks.

"Inoue? Is something the matter?" Ichigo noticed she was crying.

"Nothing. I'm just happy for you, that's all. I think... I think I'm going home now" She said as she got up.

Urahara deduced her reaction and decided not to salt the wound by asking her to heal Nelliel. "Maybe some other time..." He muttered to himself.

"Then I'll take you home" Ichigo offered.

"No, it's not necessary. You guys have a lot to talk about due to this new problem. I can go on my own. It's alright" She made a fake smile.

"Are you sure, Inoue-sama? We heard about you from Nel-sama and would be happy to help" Pesche offered.

"It's fine, really" She lied.

"Okay... But be careful on the way" Ichigo complied worried.

"Yes, don't worry. I was happy to see you again, Nel-san" She kept lying.

"Me too" The Arrancar replied.

"Maybe we three could go hang out one of these days" Rukia said.

"It could be possible. I just have to finish making a Gigai for Nel-chan" Urahara added.

"I bet you're gonna make _me_ pay for all the things you've done for her" Ichigo pointed out.

"Of course, I wouldn't make a lady work..." A certain dark skinned Shinigami appeared on his mind as he said that.

Everyone laughed. Everyone but Orihime.

"Goodbye, everyone!" She waved her hand and exited the room as quickly as possible.

The rest of the people noticed something was wrong with her, but only Rukia and Urahara understood completely.

"That was strange. Something appeared to bother her..." Ichigo said.

"Whatever it was, she didn't seem to want to talk about it" Uryuu added.

"Anyways, we should start planning our strategy against the Oni. The good thing about them is that since they are a very ancient race, we know practically everything worth mentioning" Urahara explained.

"Shouldn't Grimmjow hear this as well?" Nelliel remembered.

"Oh, I had forgotten about him! I just wanted to tease him a little for defying me, but I think he learned his lesson" Kisuke remembered.

"No need for that. I broke free on my own... Though it was a real hassle!" The Arrancar said angrily as he joined them in the room, now in his normal form.

"Is Harribel-san still sleeping?" Urahara asked him.

"Like an angel, now tell us about the Oni" He replied quickly.

"Angel? Grimmjow, don't tell me..." Ichigo started bothering him.

"It's a common expression, don't think too much about it, FUCK!" He said with animosity although his face was slightly red.

"Um... Let's see... What would the most important about the Oni be...?" Urahara muttered to himself.

Everyone looked at him disappointed as he wasn't able to properly carry the topic.

"Oh, right! Their structure. The Oni have a King, three Princes and eight Dukes. Their king, known by the name Yama, is known for using Light and Dark nature attacks. The other three Princes, are represented by an infernal beast. Behemoth (Fire and Earth), Leviathan (Water) and Zis (Wind). There's not much information about the eight Dukes, but I can tell you that the most dangerous uses a blade that goes by the name Abaddon"

"They use swords as well?" Chad asked.

"Good question. While they use swords, these are not Zanpakutous and I have no idea about their powers. I can imagine that either the swords or the Oni achieve their true forms by using some kind of technique, but that is all theory"

"What will our first move be?" Grimmjow asked.

"As long as they don't attack Soul Society or the Human World during these days, which is a possible scenario in this point, reconquering Hueco Mundo. After that, it would possibly be entering Jigoku to face the princes and the King himself. This last part would be if they continue to threaten our existence, of course"

"How much time do we have to train?" Ichigo asked.

"If we are lucky... Half a day"

"WHAT?!" Everyone snapped.

"I know it doesn't sound as much, but it should be more than enough with the training we have prepared for you"

"We?" Uryuu repeated.

"Hi, did any of you miss me?" Asked a woman.

"I should've assumed that it was gonna be you, Yoruichi" Ichigo said with a grin.

"Who else would it have been, Ichigo? You know this lazy ass, he won't move an inch to train you" She said referring to Urahara.

"That hurt. But continuing, everyone's gonna train with Yoruichi, except that it won't be in the training ground"

"Where are we going, then?" Uryuu asked.

Ichigo seemed to know where Urahara meant, but waited for him to say so.

"The Dangai. The place where Kurosaki-kun trained for the last time before defeating Aizen"

"I thought so" Agreed Ichigo.

"What kind of place is it?" Nelliel asked.

"It is not very pretty, but it's very practical. An hour here means 2,000 hours at the Dangai" Urahara explained.

"Which means that if we train there, 12 hours will be a little less than three years" Uryuu clarified.

"And since the Koutotsu was destroyed, there is no danger by training there" The shop owner reminded.

"Very well then. It's 9:34 AM. I'm guessing at 10 AM we enter the Dangai, don't we?" Ichigo assumed.

"Correct. I hope your mind is ready for two and a half years of training, all in the span of a normal day" Yoruichi said with a proud smirk.

"We're always ready" Replied another male voice that joined the conversation.

"Renji! You came!" Rukia exclaimed with surprise.

"Not in a million years would I miss the chance to get stronger in such a way... Also, I had a hunch that this bastard had gotten his Reiatsu back"

"Who are you calling a bastard you damn pineapple head?!" Ichigo replied.

"Ho... Cocky after we regained our powers, aren't we?"

The two were throwing lightning bolts at each other with their looks.

"You can end this conversation at the Dangai if you don't mind!" Rukia punished them with a punch on the head.

"Thank you Rukia. Also, since I'm a lazy ass but I want you to learn some new tricks... I asked help from some friends" Urahara said as more people entered the shop.

Everyone was really curious as to who would train with them now.

"...But why did it have to be us?! We don't owe shit to that bastard!" The loud complaints of a girl were heard.

"We are doing this for Yoruichi-san now, so calm down Hiyori" A man reprimended her.

Ichigo had an invaluable glare directed at the voices that Nelliel noticed.

"You know them, Ichigo?" She asked.

"Yeah. They are good guys, but they are a special kind of weirdos as well" He replied.

"Who are you calling a weirdo?!" Hiyori jumped right at Ichigo, and was about to throw punches while he was on the floor.

Love grabbed her from her red jacket and lifted her from the ground before she could do any damage.

"Long time no see. We already know the plan, so the question is: are _you_ ready?" He said the last part in american English and pointed his finger in a cool way, trying to imitate a movie.

"Hey Ichigo, it's gonna be a long while training there, but don't worry cause I've got you covered" Lisa whispered loudly to him as she suspiciously opened a backpack full of Ero magazines.

The sight made Ichigo cringe as well as blush.

"Why did you have to bring that?!"

"What is that, Ichigo?" Nelliel asked innocently, but he decided to ignore her question.

"I think I get what you were saying earlier, Ichigo" Uryuu agreed.

Chad, Rukia and Renji nodded in approval.

"For those of you who don't know who they are, they call themselves the Vizards" Urahara clarified. "They are previous Shinigami who were hollowfied by Aizen, but gained great power as a result. They were all Lieutenants or Captains back in Soul Society, so needless to say, they are the most indicated people if you want to train and learn a thing or two in the process"

"He's not lying about that" Ichigo agreed.

"Who cares if they are a tad weird or crazy? The only thing I care about is if they are strong!" Grimmjow said.

"Oh... This Arrancar is quite the talker! You'll see how strong I am after I break the shit out of you!" Hiyori challenged.

"I'm an Espada, so you can come and try, kid!"

Her body stopped all movement and seemed to produce steam.

"Kid...? Kid? KID?!" She exclaimed louder and louder. "I AM A GROWN WOMAN YOU IDIOTIC HOLLOW. WHAT? WANNA SEE MY ASS? OR DO YOU WANNA GROPE MY TITS TO BELIEVE ME? I'LL FUCKING DESTROY YOU!!!"

Hachigen created a sound-proof barrier around Hiyori.

"Sorry for that. How much time do we have left?" He asked Urahara.

"About twenty minutes" He replied.

"Everything we'll need there is ready. Food, bed, you name it" Yoruichi told them.

"What about porn?" Lisa asked.

"Some things are better left unsaid!" Ichigo replied.

"The other reason I chose them is because Ichigo's gonna need some training with his Hollow powers after he regained his Reiatsu and they are the experts in the field" Kisuke added. "Any objections?"

Everyone shook their head.

"Perfect. Let's get the last details done, then"

During the remaining minutes, everyone finished their tea and prepared everything they needed to leave.

"It's gonna be some harsh two years... Are you sure you wanna...?" Ichigo asked Nelliel but she put her finger in his mouth.

"I want to be stronger, Ichigo. To protect you and everyone else. Two years are gonna pass in a flash if I'm with you" She replied with the smile that always made him blush.

"And we're aiming for the same, Nel-sama!" Pesche said.

"We swore to protect Nel-sama, as her Fracciones and more importantly, as her family" Dondochakka added.

"You're so sweet!" She told her brothers. "I'm sure you will get stronger if you have such determination"

"Yeah. I've never seen you guys fight seriously so I'm looking forward to see what you can do" Ichigo told them.

"We won't dissapoint you!" Pesche declared.

Grimmjow came back from the training ground carrying a sleeping Harribel.

"Ready!" The Espada said.

"Very well! Everything's ready now, so, um... I've never been good with speeches, but I wish you all good luck!" Urahara concluded.

"That fool. After all these years he's still unable to say something more elaborate..." Hiyori muttered to herself.

"Listen! Almost three years of training await us. Either you die weak or live strong enough to fight the Oni. They are real monsters in terms of power, possibly more dangerous than anything we've encountered this far, so once we exit the Dangai, I want to see warriors determined to obtain victory!" Yoruichi improvised a speech on Urahara's behalf.

"Yes!" Everyone agreed.

As soon as the sound of their voices disappeared, Urahara opened the Senkaimon towards the Dangai.

"Remember to use the _Kaikyou Kotei_ as soon as possible to stop the Kouryuu" Urahara reminded Yoruichi.

"Yeah. Let's go!" She commanded and everyone entered the Senkaimon.

"I'll get stronger. As strong as possible to protect everyone" Ichigo swore to himself as he entered.

~~~~X~~~~

Orihime was slowly walking towards her house. It was a beautiful day, but instead of cheering her up, she felt that it was somehow mocking her sadness.

"It's raining inside my head... It's always been" She muttered.

"It's raining inside my heart... It's always been" Now tears formed in her eyes.

"It's raining inside my soul, it's not your fault, it's not your fault" She repeated inside her mind with Ichigo's image as she started crying desperately.

"It's raining inside us all" A voice she thought she'd never hear again calmly said in reply.

"Huh?" She washed away the tears to confirm her thoughts.

"Why are you crying? Woman?"

"It can't be...!" She exclaimed as her prediction turned out correct.

~~~~X~~~~

**Woah! Now this was quick wasn't it? I bet you didn't think I would release a chapter so soon, haha. But well, I got sick, so I had a lot of time in my hands.**

**Many more people have started following the story, so I'm really happy. I think that I should write at least a chapter for one of my other stories before working on Chapter 4 though. But don't worry, if this keeps getting the support it has up to now, I will keep doing my best to bring the next chapters ASAP!**

**Reviews:**

**naruto: _great chapter keep it up._**

**Reply: Thanks for the support!**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark:**

**C1: ****_Wow! This is off to a great start! I like it so far! I'm enjoying this a lot. I was wondering though...will you need any Demon OCs for this story? If so, I'd be happy to create one or two for you to use. Please think about it and PM me back!_**

**C2:** **_Great work! I loved this! OMG! They were SO close to kissing! But NO! The others just HAD to ruin it! Lol._**

**_But I digress. I really laughed hard when Urahara called Grimmjow a Tsundere. Lol._**

**_But I digress. I don't think Nel would judge Ichigo for literally becoming a Vasto Lorde. So why did he lie? And will the real truth come to light?_**

**Reply:**

**C1: Happy to hear that you liked the first chapter. It also makes me glad that you'd like to create OCs to support the story. Unfortunately, I have everything kind of planned already, so every important character for the plot is already designed. If I ever want a Demon OC I'll hit you up, but don't count on it.**

**C2: I love building tension so get used to it, haha. Answering about Ichigo's reaction, it was just because he didn't feel comfortable remembering that moment and even less sharing it, nothing more. Will Nel know the truth? All I'm gonna say is that her nightmare was something more than just a dream.**

**Anyway, I'm off to the next chapter!**

**See you soon, Evhron.**


	4. Heart

"How... How is this possible?!" Orihime said in shock.

"Does that really matter? The how's... The why's... I don't think any of that is relevant in the grand scheme of things" The Espada coldly replied.

"It's definetly him..." She thought with an expression of astonishment.

"Though if you want an answer that bad, I can say that it's because of the Demons that caused all this mess"

"Hueco Mundo's... Invasion? The Oni?" She asked insecure.

"Correct. Since you are so keen on looking for answers, would you want to know... Why?"

Instead of replying, she just kept looking at him as if she was in a state of suspended animation.

"*sigh* You are not even processing this very well, are you?"

"Sorry, I just... I can't... I don't know how to react to this!" She exclaimed confused.

"You are strange, woman. Even in your confusion, you still don't show signs of fear, with no need to mention all the things I did back in Hueco Mundo. You are not afraid, although I somehow came back to life after an unquestionable death. I wonder... If you'd cower in fear if you knew that it was _I _who conquered Hueco Mundo for the Oni"

"You... Did you really do such thing?"

"Yes" He nodded with his emotionless expression.

"Why?"

"Because I was ordered to. Nothing more, nothing less. Actually... That's the same reason I was looking for you"

"Huh?"

"What? You thought I came cause I wanted to see you? Because I needed you? Don't be so arrogant, woman. You're just a human. An antithesis of my very being. A Hollow like me would never care about humans like you"

"But what happened... To that part of you who admitted being interested in humans? What happened to the Espada that was so fixated on knowing what a heart-?"

"Silence!" He looked at her in a menacing way. "I don't know what you're talking about and I don't care either. Now come. Time's up" He grabbed her by the arm and opened a _Garganta_.

"No! Please! I couldn't even..."

"What, say goodbye? Do you really think everyone will miss you that much? I saw it all. Kurosaki Ichigo doesn't need you anymore. He found comfort in that Arrancar girl, am I wrong? Face it, she took him away from you"

"That's not true! Nel-san would never do that! She's my friend!" She denied angrily.

"Is that so? Maybe this was all just a silly idea of mine..." He said as he pulled one of his eyes out and broke it into pieces.

Orihime saw images of Nelliel and Ichigo in bed. She saw how she hugged him, and how he tenderly touched her hair and face. The vision ended abruptly, with them almost kissing.

"That's... Not true..." She muttered as she became eaten by despair and hopelessness.

"I know why you were crying. You were broken by the one you care for the most. Don't worry. Your sadness will turn into anger, and your anger will turn into hate. That's just how humans are. They love to talk about their heart and that so called love it contains, but even the most beautiful form of love will turn into pure hate under the right conditions"

Suddenly, hearing such words made her an unexpected source of hope and determination.

"You're wrong" She replied calmly.

"Huh?" He was surprised.

"I said you're wrong" She repeated louder.

"Hmph, don't try to trick me woman. You can't tell me that-"

"Yes, I can. You're totally wrong about everything! Only false love can turn into hate. That's why... I could never hate Kurosaki-kun!"

"What point is there in denying it? Just accept that he betrayed you. Why would you keep loving someone like that? That's nonsense!" He seemed pissed at such irrational behaviour.

"It is nonsense, I know... But that's what having a heart is like. We are not made the same, yet we are all broke. We are all sick and in pain, but it's okay, there is no one to blame. We hold on. To hope. To dreams. To love. We hold on to each other to keep living this life. As harsh as it can sometimes be, when we can sort out adversities together, we are reminded of what happiness feels like and it's even more rewarding..."

Ulquiorra stared at her with a shocked yet disgusted expression for a perpetual black second, before he pulled her into the _Garganta_ and took her to Hueco Mundo in a flash.

~~~~X~~~~

"Is this... The Dangai?" Nelliel asked Ichigo as they entered the purple gloomy looking place.

"Yeah. Hey, Yoruichi, do you need help doing that thing to stop the Kouryuu?" He asked her.

"And how would you train then? Sit tight and leave it to me"

"But then how will you help us?"

"I never said that I'd do it myself" She replied with a smirk.

"What do you mean?"

Yoruichi opened a bag. Inside there were mid-length canes of shining light-blue energy.

"It's true that Kisuke might be lazy for physical training, but when it comes to research I have nothing to say"

"Are those made of pure reiatsu?" Uryuu asked impressed.

"Not really. He explained that it's made of metal at its core but that it's charged with great amounts of Reiatsu. Each one of these is meant to give us 2000 hours"

"Why did you bring thirteen then?" Ichigo noticed.

"Fool. You really think that I would risk if one of these failed? We needed at least one more for insurance"

"You're right" He admitted crossing his arms.

"Okay, so first things first, inside those bags are tents and sleeping bags for you all. They are for two people maximum. I have my own, so as long as you don't bother anyone, I don't care who you wanna share them with"

"I'll share a tent with Renji. We've been together since we were kids anyway, so it's not a problem. That way he won't be fighting Ichigo either" Rukia said.

"Tch... Not like I care" Renji muttered.

"Chad and I don't mind sharing either" Uryuu said, although the two were already finishing a tent.

"I'm staying with Lisa" Hiyori declared as she grabbed one of the tent packs.

"I'll share one with Hachi" Love said carelessly, despite the size of his friend.

"I'll be with Ichigo!" Nel giggled as she grabbed him by the hand and dragged him while running towards a spot she liked, all with a disarmed tent under her arm.

"Hey, what the-?!" He didn't even see her coming.

"Ho? She looks innocent but is quite daring" Yoruichi commented with a smug face.

"Pesche and I will arm our tent next to Nel-sama's" Dondochakka said.

"I'll just stay with Harribel. I was already taking care of her when we came to the Human World anyways..." Grimmjow said pretending not to care, when in fact he was worried about her well-being.

"Interesting... Some very interesting couples have formed, huh?" She said to herself looking at Rukia, Ichigo and Grimmjow. "Well, it would be no fun otherwise"

Everyone made their tents and left their sleeping bags inside while Yoruichi did the artificial _Kaikyou Kotei_ to stop the Kouryuu.

"Hey, Nel. How do you plan to train with those clothes?" Ichigo asked her after finishing preparing the tent, since she was still wearing her Yukata.

"Oh... I hadn't thought about that" She admitted.

"Go ask Yoruichi. She might lend you suitable clothes for training"

"You think so? But to say the truth, I don't really know her that much so..." She was too shy to ask herself.

"No problem. I'll go ask her then. Meanwhile take care of Zangetsu" Ichigo decided.

"Thank you, Ichigo" She smiled with gratitude as she carefully left the blade inside the tent.

Yoruichi had finished doing the _Kaikyou Kotei_ and was waiting for the rest to be ready outside her tent.

"Hey, Yoruichi, would you happen to have a spare uniform or something fit for training you can lend me?"

"Wow Ichigo, I always knew you were a little pervert... But I never thought you were into cross-dressing" She replied with a smirk.

"No! I-It's not for me, alright?!" He got upset easily.

"Hahahahahaha, I'm just kidding! It's for that Arrancar girl, Nel, right?" She deduced correctly.

"Yeah... Hey, how did you know her name?"

"Of course. Inoue-chan told me about her after she returned from Hueco Mundo. She was a little Arrancar girl that accompanied you through your journey or something, right?"

"Yeah, something like that" He agreed as he looked back on his journey.

"Inoue-chan seemed to like her, although I felt a hint of insecurity in her voice when she mentioned that she transformed into a beautiful grown adult to save you"

"Really? I mean, that used to be her normal form. I bet she was gonna regain it sooner or later..."

"Yeah, right..." She said in an ironic tone as she entered the tent. "Here, give her these" She gave Ichigo a piece of black clothing and some yellow silk bands.

"Thanks, now Nel will be able to train"

"It's nothing. Also, that's a gift for you as well"

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"You'll know when you see it"

"Whatever you say..." He replied oblivious to what she meant.

He returned and gave Nel the clothes.

"See, I told you it was no problem. Now get changed so we can start training"

"Thank you so much! I'll do it right away" She said with her melodic voice.

She treated her yukata as delicately as possible, since she really liked it. After that, she gave a look at the clothes they lent her.

It turned out to be Yoruichi's black fighting suit, with the white Homonka at the chest. She thought it was a useful yet pretty suit, although once she wore it, she thought it was a bit... revealing. Even after wearing the yellow bands on her neck and waist, that didn't change the fact that Yoruichi was a pair of cups smaller than her.

"Ready?" Ichigo asked her after a while.

"I think so..."

"Alright then, let's go" He said as he entered the tent to grab his Zanpakuto.

"No, wait!" She tried to prevent him from entering but it was too late.

"Eh?" He became frozen as he looked at the Arrancar.

The suit looked really good on her. It made very good use of her curves as well as the contrast with her slightly toned skin. However, the killing blow was the way the side of her melons came out of the armless top.

"Urgh!" He grabbed his nose in an intent to stop the bleeding. "Damn you, Yoruichi!" He thought as he noticed what she meant back there.

"What's the matter, Ichigo? Ah!" She became worried but lost her balance and tripped on top of him.

With her soft bouncy goods being rubbed on his face, Ichigo lost to his body's reaction and bled uncontrollably.

"No! What's going on? Ichigo!" She got his upper body up and started shaking him, trying to get a reaction.

"W-Wait, Nel! I'm fine!" He said as he tried to stop her.

"Really? But you were bleeding!" She didn't seem to believe him.

"It was nothing, really"

"Well if you say so... But you made me very worried!" She embraced him with little tears in her eyes.

"You never change..." He thought due to her reaction, but gladly smiled as he felt her warmth and sweet scent. "I think I should ask Yoruichi for an undershirt though"

She became red as she remembered how most of her boobs came out from her clothes. "Please..."

Once she thought everybody was ready, Yoruichi clapped her hands to call everyone's attention.

"Okay! Come here, everyone!"

All the people did as they were ordered and reunited around her.

"Time to start moving. Who's good at hand to hand combat?"

"Heh, this woman's funny! You really think there's anything you can teach me?" Grimmjow mocked her.

Yoruichi simply used _Shunpo_ to get close to him faster than he could see and used her knee to throw a devastating hit on his stomach.

"What?!" He thought as he coughed a bit of blood as a result.

"See? You still have a lot to learn" She said with a smirk after putting him in his place. "Anyone else wants to join the team?"

"Hey, Nel. Aren't you quite good at this as well?" Ichigo asked her. "I remember how well you combined both your swordsmanship with your hand to hand combat during your fight with Nnoitra"

"Really?" She chuckled. "But, I'm not sure..."

"Hey, you! Nelliel, was it? I heard strawberry boy. Would you mind having a little spar? I just wanna see what you've got"

"Eh? Well... I guess I could give it a try" She replied unsure.

"Go! I'm sure you'll do great!" He cheered her on.

"Thank you. Okay, I'll go!" She finally decided, motivated by Ichigo's support.

Now she was wearing a white undershirt under the black clothing to both cover her body more and, more importantly, restrain the bounce of her breasts to fight freely.

She walked towards Yoruichi and everyone stood back to give them more space. Grimmjow just watched from the floor, still in pain from the cat woman's attack.

"Since you're so shy, I'll go first. Get ready!" She warned.

"Y-Yeah!" Nel replied a bit nervous, taking a defensive position.

In the next instant, Yoruichi used the same attack she used with Grimmjow to see if she was paying attention. Nelliel wasted no time blocking her knee with her arms crossed and jumping above her to throw a spinning kick for her back.

"Wow, this girl fights!" Yoruichi thought as she blocked her kick in the last possible moment with her arm and even was pushed a few meters back. "Guess I won't have to go easy on you"

"I never expected you to" Nelliel answered, now trusting in her own ability.

They clashed again, this time starting with a kick from the Arrancar that was evaded by Yoruichi by crouching. She wasted no time in countering by shooting Nel down with a leg lock directed at her only supporting leg.

Once on the floor, Nelliel quickly blocked Yoruichi's further advancement with a half-guard. With her back on the floor and her legs twisted around the Shinigami's leg and waist, she went for an arm lock, but it was a distraction to change her position into a leg lock meant to trap Yoruichi's upper body and shorten her blood circulation.

"Nice move, but I won't go down so easily!" She replied as she grabbed Nel's knee before she could definitely close the triangle and escaped her lock.

The Arrancar rolled back to stand up as fast as possible and charged at Yoruichi with several punches.

At first, the woman was dodging them easily, but after seeing her moves, Nel could read her better and create combinations that would give her more trouble. After about twenty relentless punches, each one more effective than the last, Yoruichi was forced to start blocking. However, one of the Arrancar's punches was merely a fake to throw a high kick.

Yoruichi only managed to absorb a bit of the impact with her arm, but received good damage from it anyway, since she was sent flying.

Before falling to the ground, the woman managed to gain control of her body and rolled to reduce the impact.

"My turn" She said with a smile after she noticed she was bleeding a bit.

Yoruichi attacked her with everything she had (without using _Shunkou_) and even then, the Arrancar managed to evade or block most of her punches.

Everyone was actually surprised to see how amazing was Nelliel's fighting style. Despite being technique based, the way she moved her body and jumped around doing sommersaults to dodge was very unique.

"She's like... A wild animal" Ichigo thought without taking his eyes off her.

The two females were on pair, but Yoruichi decided to show her sparring rival that she still had something to learn.

"Very well... You leave me no choice... I didn't think Ichigo was lying about you... But I never expected you to be _this_ strong!" She admitted while panting and sweating.

"Thank you... You're very strong as well... Yoruichi-san" She replied in the same state.

"However. I promised you'd learn a thing or two, so I'm gonna show you that you can still grow" She replied as she took off her orange shirt to let a surge of electric Reiatsu flow from her body.

"That is...!" Rukia recognized it, although she had never seen it.

"Yeah... This is called _Shunkou_. It's a hybrid technique that mixes both the fighting techniques of Hakuda and the spell techniques of Kidou. It's quite complex, but given the amount of power you gain, it's totally worth it"

Nelliel looked at it for a moment to get an idea of the threat it posed. After a quick analysis, she decided to continue fighting.

"I'm ready" She told Yoruichi, determined to get stronger.

"Very well" The woman replied, an instant before appearing in front of her with a kick.

She almost couldn't see it, but her body reacted in time and blocked the hit. However, even with her _Hierro_, she took damage.

"Is this truly the power of a Shinigami?!" She thought after seeing and feeling the results of the woman's attack.

Despite the damage, she stood her ground at first, getting ready for another attack. However, her body forced her to fall to her knees moments after.

"Oh, sorry. It seems that was too much for your body to take after recently going back to your adult form" Yoruichi apologized, since Urahara explained her that she couldn't force herself too much.

"No, it's okay. I have to get in shape, that's all. I'm glad I could fight you, Yoruichi-san"

"But were you able to feel the power of _Shunkou_?"

"Yes, it is very impressive! To say the truth, I never thought a Shinigami could be so strong without using a Zanpakuto"

"Well, that should give you an idea of how powerful this technique is. After all, it is true that it takes a long time for a warrior to learn it, and it requires even more dedication to master it" She clarified. "However... Given your strength and ability, I bet you could master _Shunkou _by the end of this training"

"Really?!" Nel was filled with hope.

"Of course. You're really strong, Nel. Keep training like that and you'll be kicking some Demon ass!" She cheered her up.

"But, Yoruichi-san. Is it possible for her since, well... She's an Arrancar?" Renji ignorantly asked.

"Fool" Hiyori replied condescending. "Although Vizards are essentially Shinigami, they can use Hollow powers. It's obvious that it is the same way for Arrancar"

"That does make sense..." Uryuu muttered pensive.

"I asked Kisuke, and he said that it was possible. He did tell me that you had to be careful overdoing yourself though" Yoruichi clarified.

"Yes, I have that in mind" Nel agreed.

"Then I guess I'm gonna need your help, Hachi" She looked at the big elegantly dressed pink haired man that was in the group.

"Of course. I'm assuming that you want me to teach her Kidou" He deduced.

"Yes, but there's no need to go so deep into it. I just need her to understand how Kidou works, as well as how to control and use it"

"Understood. I'm going to do my best to teach you the basics of the art of Kidou" He directed a friendly look at Nelliel.

"Thank you..." She was surprised that he had such a warm personality, since his size made him a bit intimidating.

"Aside from that, you and the other Arrancar will be training with me every day. That way you'll sharpen your hand to hand combat skills. You will also spar between yourselves to work on your Hollow abilities" She directed her look at Grimmjow, who was now standing up and giving her a death glare that made her rejoice even more.

"Okay" Nel nodded.

Grimmjow did not reply, although he had clear that he would have to train if he wanted to get revenge on Yoruichi.

"Now, continuing on the rest of you... Rukia!"

"Y-Yes!" She wasn't expecting to be called so soon.

"You will also be training with Hachi to improve your Kidou. After that, you can spar with any of the other Shinigami or Vizards to improve your general combat skills, and more importantly, the use of your Zanpakuto"

"Yes, ma'am!" The girl replied formally and even bowed.

"How cute..." She chuckled. "You three!" She pointed at Uryuu, Chad and Renji.

"Yes?" The three said in unison.

"Just like with Urahara. Go find a place where you can train freely and destroy stuff every day without bothering anyone and improve your own special abilities. I'm sorry that we don't have other Quincies in the group, but I'm pretty sure you'll figure a way to get stronger on your own. Needless to say, if you want to get better at Hakuda, you're always free to participate in my special training" She offered.

"Thanks for the offer, even though I doubt I'll take it" Uryuu replied.

"I'll think about it" Chad said.

"Nah, I'll just stick with these guys. I'm sure we'll get pretty strong by ourselves" Renji added.

"Do as you wish. The shorter the group, the better. Continuing, what are _your_ abilities?" She looked at Pesche and Dondochakka obliviously.

"I can spit a lot of green slippery liquid!" The blonde one said proudly.

"My face is pretty hard, I guess..." His brother scratched the back of his head as he modestly replied.

"They could train with me, Yoruichi-san. After all, they are my Fracción" Nel said.

Grimmjow became astonished as he heard those words. "Fracción?! Did I hear correctly...?" He thought as he looked at Nelliel in shock.

"No, Nel-sama! We would only drag you down..." Dondochakka denied.

"I think he's right. If you want to get really strong, the best is that you focus on your own training" Pesche agreed with his brother.

"Thank you, guys..." She gave a hug to both her brothers in sign of appreciation.

"Um... Then you could join those three" Yoruichi decided to send them with the miscellaneous trio of the Quincy, Fullbring and Shinigami.

"Woohoo! The gang is back together!" Pesche said gladly as he remembered the time they spent in Hueco Mundo fighting Aizen's army.

"Y-Yeah..." Uryuu replied, although inside he felt that it was a drag training with such clowns.

"You better take it seriously this time!" Renji warned them.

"Oh, c'mon guys! I know we used to fool around a lot, but we proved to be useful in battle at the very end, right?" Pesche asked proudly, looking for approval.

"Not really... Szayelaporro saw through your attack" Uryuu reminded him.

"So mean!" Dondochakka started crying.

"It's the truth, goddammit!" Renji cursed.

"Then this time we'll train as hard as we can so things are different" Pesche concluded with a serious voice that was hardly ever heard.

The group was silenced as they looked at him, astonished for a moment.

"D-Don't look at me like that! It makes me nervous!" He posed and moved his hands in sign of disapproval.

Everyone felt calmer when he returned to his usual self.

"Well... That leaves us with Ichigo and the rest of the Vizards" Yoruichi said to conclude.

"Don't bother mentioning it. It's clear that we have to help this idiot control his Hollow powers again" Hiyori deduced.

"Did you try wearing your mask, Ichigo?" Love asked him.

"Yeah. I sparred a bit with Grimmjow after my powers returned. It felt... Okay, I guess. I didn't feel anything out of place" He replied as he recalled his most recent fight while Love nodded.

"How long did you transform?" Lisa questioned.

"I'm not really sure, but it wasn't so long. I wore off the mask on my own, though"

"It was for about a minute" Nelliel reminded him.

"That means you're not as pathetic as I thought you'd be if you got back your Reiatsu" Hiyori crossed her arms.

"Yeah, keep talking. That big mouth of yours is gonna cost you sooner or later" Ichigo told her pissed.

"Oh, so you wanna fight? Come at me, I give no fucks when destroying brats like you!" She yelled as she got her Zanpakuto out.

"Who are you calling a brat? Last time I checked, you were as short as a midget!"

"THAT'S IT, YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!" She jumped at him and used _Shikai_.

An orange cubic barrier formed around her and stopped her in mid-air.

"This is turning into a bad joke..." Hachigen said as he shook his head.

"Anyway, we are ready. It's difficult to tell the time here, so Kisuke gave me a timer to count each day here. You'll wake up at 6 O'clock every morning and finish your training at 8 PM. You're free to continue training afterwards, but I don't want that to cause you lesions or an excess of fatigue. Meals last for an hour, so breakfast, lunch and dinner are at 9 AM, 3 PM and 9 PM respectively. You have the rest of the day off" Yoruichi ordered.

Everyone gave a sign of understanding.

"Oh and Ichigo" She called him individually. "Once you're done with the Hollow mask training, I want you to start learning Kidou with Hachi"

"Really? Kidou? Me?" He never saw himself learning such thing. "Like, doesn't that take years to master?"

"Don't act like you haven't learned other complex techniques in short spans of time before. Believe me, you have what it takes, but you have to give it your all"

"If you say so... Alright, I'll do my best"

"I have no doubt" She proudly smiled.

Although she was very demanding about training, she was really proud of Ichigo. It was undeniable that he was a prodigy, even if he didn't notice it, but what Yoruichi appreciated about him the most was the effort he put in the things he did.

"Let's go, Nel!" He told the Arrancar, who stood by to wait for him while he was talking.

"Yes!" She happily replied.

Nel wrapped herself around Ichigo's arm and was humming happily as they walked towards their tent.

"Hey!" A voice called.

"Who is it?" She asked Ichigo.

Ichigo tilted his head towards the voice.

"Grimmjow..." He replied, wondering about what he wanted.

They stood still and waited for him.

"What's the matter?" Ichigo asked him.

"I need to talk. With BOTHof you. But first, follow me..." He said as he started walking.

Nel gave Ichigo a strange look as if asking "What does he want?" to what Ichigo raised his shoulders in reply and started following him.

The Espada entered his tent and waited for them. Inside, Harribel was still recovering, silently sleeping in her bag.

"Alright, what's going on?" Ichigo asked, even more curious than before, as he sat alongside Nel.

"You!" Grimmjow called Nel's attention. "I remember you... You were an Espada!" He was one of the first Arrancar in Aizen's army, so he could remember, despite him being numbered 12 at that time.

"*sigh* I am Nelliel Tu Odelschwank. And yes, I used to be the third Espada"

"Tercera... Then I guess you must be the one that old sack of bones mentioned a long time ago..."

"Old sack of bones... Who's that?" Ichigo asked.

"You must be referring to Barragan, the 2nd Espada" Nel intuited.

Ichigo assumed that this Barragan was already dead.

"Correct. I remember hearing him talk about a third Espada that disappeared without a trace. I can't say I really cared much about that, as I was focused on getting stronger myself... But I did think that it was an unusual event. I knew that the Espada I joined had gone through some changes before, but I never heard of an Espada simply disappearing, which was even weirder given the fact that it was a 3rd"

"It must have been me. That idiot of Nnoitra betrayed me. He destroyed the mask of my two Fracción just because I didn't agree to needlessly kill him after a battle. As a result, I got angry and faced him. He used some kind of trick, got the best of me and I got my skull broken. I imagine that he and whoever was his partner in crime threw me and my Fracciones outside of Las Noches, but neither Pesche nor Dondochakka have really told me about it" She bitterly replied, until Ichigo pat her head to comfort her, to which she smiled.

"I'm thinking the same. You were some kind of urban legend among the current Espada. But I don't care about any of that, to be honest"

"Why did you want to know that then?" She asked him confused.

"Because now I have an idea of how strong you truly are. I saw you fight that woman and you definitely have what it takes. C'mon, fight me!"

She closed her eyes disappointed. "*sigh* How can you all look at me the same way?" She told him as she thought about Nnoitra. "All you care is about fighting, destroying and killing... I hate fighting in general, but I despise fighting for no reason at all" She replied angrily.

"Sorry, but I wanna be king. The king of Hueco Mundo. For that, I need to fight strong Arrancar like you to get even stronger and claim my position"

"Then become king, I couldn't care less. From now on, I decided that I would stay by Ichigo's side. Once we defeat the Oni, I'll only go back to Hueco Mundo if he wishes to do so. If you want to be stronger then train by yourself, but don't drag those of us that wish for peaceful lives" She clarified.

"Tch... I hate your kind" He spat. "You are literally the worst. You have all the power to accomplish even the greatest ambitions, yet you seek for stupid things like peace or company..." The last part made him remember Starrk.

Ichigo was about to interfere, but Nelliel spoke before he had the chance.

"Think whatever you want. I'm not fighting you, Grimmjow. Not over some stupid reason like that. I don't mind training with you, if you wish to get stronger _that_ bad. But, if you're looking for a fight to the death... All you're gonna get is a no from me" She declared.

Ichigo had never seen her so serious outside of battle, but a part of him was glad that she could stand up for herself.

"Anything else you want, Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked him, a tad pissed for the way he treated Nel.

"Yeah. This is the most important thing actually"

"It better be"

"How the hell did you beat Ulquiorra?"

He had flashbacks of the battle he had against the 4th Espada. The way he was completely overwhelmed by his power, to such extreme that he was almost killed, if it wasn't for the fact that his inner Hollow took over and won the battle.

"Why do you wanna know?" He asked back, reluctant to give a clear answer.

"Or better yet... _Who_ killed Ulquiorra?" He rephrased his question to get the answer he wanted.

Nelliel stayed silent and looked at Ichigo's uncomfortable expression. She wanted to know more about that battle as well, but she knew that it was a sensitive topic for him.

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon, Ichigo. We Hollows might not be as instructed as you are about our rivals, but we know perfectly well what happens when a Shinigami kills a Hollow"

"Yeah? Good for you. Would you mind telling me _why_ that matters?"

"Only if you spit out what the hell happened over the roof of Las Noches!"

Ichigo looked at him astonished.

"What? You thought I didn't notice that there was a hole at the top of the palace? You thought I didn't feel the crushing spiritual pressure of Ulquiorra when that giant wave of black and green Reiatsu came out from that hole?! Just what the fuck happened up there?!"

Ichigo couldn't understand why Grimmjow was so desperate to know that information, but he knew that he would not give up.

"Um... Ichigo. I would also like to know more details about that battle... If it's not a bother" She insecurely asked with her nightmare in mind.

"*sigh* Fine. You're right. I couldn't have possibly killed him. Ulquiorra was tremendously strong, and in his _Resurrección_, he was already beating the shit out of me without any effort...

But you know how I am. I never give up, do I? And that seemed to piss him off even more. In an intent to make me drown in despair, he showed me his _Resurrección: Segunda Etapa_"

"What...? What did you just say?!" Grimmjow was in shock.

"Exactly that. There is a level above _Resurrección_"

"That would explain the way I saw him in my dream. I just assumed it was him because of his face and sad aura, but if there is a form that surpasses the normal _Resurrección_, it is possible that I saw his transformation" She theorized in her head.

"That bastard! I always knew he was hiding something... But if he had a power like that, it's possible- No. It's clear that he was the strongest Espada in the army" He said full of frustration.

"Anyways... The problem starts now. I have no words to describe the power he attained in that form. I had never faced an enemy that was so superior to me, and even now, the mere thought of facing him again is suffocating.

After a while toying with me, he blasted a _Cero_ through the same spot he had his Hollow hole. I lost consciousness after that.

The next thing I remember is hearing Inoue's voice. She was crying. Only by hearing her voice I knew that she was devastated. I couldn't do anything, until I heard her screaming as she asked me to save her.

I don't know what happened to my body, but it got up and not only did it fight Ulquiorra. It completely destroyed him.

When I regained consciousness, as well as control of my body, he was already damaged beyond regeneration. He disintegrated before I even had the chance to finish the battle.

After beating Aizen, in the first stage of my loss of Reiatsu... I saw what happened in a dream, but wasn't able to understand it completely.

When I asked Uryuu and Inoue about it though, it was all clear to me. I had become... a Vasto Lorde" He finished bitterly.

Nel and Grimmjow were in shock as they heard Ichigo's confession.

"Is that...? Is that true?!" Grimmjow couldn't believe it.

"Every word. If you believe me or not it's up to you" He sighed in the end.

Nel thought about the meaning of her nightmare for a moment, but stopped to show Ichigo that she believed him.

"I believe you, Ichigo!" Nelliel said determined as she put her hands in his shoulders in sign of trust.

"Heh, thanks, Nel" He smiled, happy to have someone to support him unconditionally.

"I mean, I don't think you're lying. It's just that such thing is simply unbeliavable. However... If that is what truly happened, it does explain what was troubling me" Grimmjow confessed.

"So there was a reason you wanted to know..." Ichigo muttered. "Grimmjow, what the fuck is going on?!" He grabbed the Arrancar by the jacket and shook him violently.

"Ichigo...!" Nel was scared by his sudden reaction.

"Hey, calm down! I'm telling you!" Even Grimmjow was intimidated by Ichigo in that state.

"Then spit it out!"

"Geez! I needed to know that because, well... I had to make sure that there was a possibility that what I saw was real..."

"But what did you see, Grimmjow? Does Ulquiorra have anything to do with our current situation?" Ichigo was getting more and more upset since the Espada kept going in circles and didn't give a real answer.

"He does... Cause" He stopped for a moment and looked at him straight in the eye. "I don't know how... I don't understand how in the world it could happen but... That bastard of Ulquiorra... Is back from the dead"

~~~~X~~~~

Orihime arrived in what seemed like the throne room in Las Noches, although it was very damaged and had a giant hole that allowed her to see the desert under the palace.

What surprised her the most is that what used to be covered in light was now shrouded in darkness, just like it was outside the palace. What was even more shocking, was the absence of Hollows in Las Noches. Despite the privileged view point the destroyed throne room gave her, she couldn't see a single Hollow in the distance.

"How did you-?!" She muttered in shock.

"So... Are you feeling afraid right now? Are you losing hope once and for all?"

For a moment, she had lost her cool, but she suddenly remembered something that gave peace to her soul.

"No. In fact, my reason is the same as the first time I came here"

Ulquiorra's eyes became amazed by that answer.

"I know my friends will come to save me. I even know Kurosaki-kun will do everything he can to rescue me. Despite my weakness, despite my uselessness, despite it all... I know he'll come to my aid"

"Why?! Why are you so persistent, woman?" He lost his cool for a second but recovered in a moment.

"Because I have a heart. And that heart is a part of all of my friends" She replied with an angelic smile as she touched her chest.

Ulquiorra approached her furiously, raising his Reiatsu to monstrous levels as the very palace within Las Noches trembled because of his power.

Orihime's body wanted to run away for survival instinct, but she had other plans. She decided to stand her ground no matter what. She wanted to prove Ulquiorra that she was not weak, that she was not afraid and that she would never give up on the thought that Ichigo was there for her.

She was ready to get her chest torn apart, her head smashed or her very soul erased, but she would not give up.

Just as Ulquiorra was standing in front of her, she braced herself to meet her end.

"I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun... Looks like I won't be able to see you again after all..."

She saw her life flash before her eyes. Every moment she spent with Ichigo, ever since they were kids, passed through her mind at a slow yet very fast pace. She didn't know how to explain it, but she didn't care. All she cared for at the moment was the happiness that filled her as these golden memories filled her mind, heart and soul, all at once.

"Thanks everyone for these moments. Thank God, for this wonderful life. Thank you, Kurosaki-kun... For the chance you gave me to experience all of this by your side and everyone else's. I wish only for your happiness, so..."

She looked up for one last time at the wholes in the roof of Las Noches, to see the ancient skies.

"...Please, Nel-san. Promise me that you'll love Ichigo with all your heart and you'll do everything you can to keep him happy" She thought and a single tear crashed into the ground. "I love you, Kurosaki-kun..."

Ulquiorra's hand moved towards her. She didn't know if it was an illusion created by her mind in her last moments, but his hand moved incredibly slow. She thought that this was her imagination, but in fact, Ulquiorra didn't move at his violent speed, neither he attacked her in any way.

Instead, the Espada took her hand in a gentle way she thought impossible.

"You proved the power of this heart. As a reward, I apologize for the things I did and said before..." He said as he looked down in shame.

"What?" She couldn't believe it. "Is he... Apologizing? Is he really apologizing?!" She thought as she witnessed an event she thought completely impossible.

"Everything I did was a test. A façade I put up because I wanted to see the power of your heart. I wanted to confirm that it was something worth risking my new life for"

"What do you mean?"

"Woman... No. Inoue Orihime. You've showed me what a heart is, as well as its unfathomable power. Now... I want you to teach me... How... How can I use this?" He asked with a sorrowful yet hopeful look as he put his white hand against hers. "I would never forget... That in this hand... There is a heart"

She could barely understand the fact that the Espada had become legitimately interested in the human heart, so she limited herself to look at him astonished.

"So please... Give me just one moment, in the life of the one who is something better, more than anything I will ever be.

Please... Give me just one second, just to touch what I'll never own.

Let me get those feelings, of love that I will never share!

Show me your compassion... In the dark of this world..." He confessed his most inner wishes with an expression of weakness Inoue was sure...

No one had ever seen. Not one Hollow, not one soul... Had ever been able to see Ulquiorra's weakness with its own eyes.

"I would give it all... For one taste of it. Everything.

I would give it all... To become more like you. To be just a bit more... Human.

After spending time with you, I found out that this world in which I can only recognize everything I see or touch... This whole world's a lie.

So believe me, I would try... And try... And try, cause...

**I would give it all to become you**"

Orihime's eyes filled with tears as she realised Ulquiorra's true feelings and embraced him.

"I always knew... I always knew you could change" She whispered in his ear with her sweet voice.

"What... Are you doing?" He asked as he felt her warm embrace. He didn't know how to describe the feeling that gave him. He didn't know if he was supposed to feel happy or sad and Orihime's tears didn't help at that either. However, something gave him the idea that it wasn't something negative, at the very least.

"This, is a hug. It is meant to share strong positive feelings, or to show how much you care about someone. Would you mind... Telling me your full name...?" She asked curiously.

"My full... Name? I'm Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra Cifer" He answered a bit confused.

"I see... It's a nice name, Cifer-kun" She smiled at him.

"Cifer... Kun...?" He was even more confused. "What is the importance of knowing my name?" He thought.

"Sorry... It's just that I've always called Kurosaki-kun by his surname. I thought I could do the same with you. You don't... You don't like it?" She asked innocently.

"No... It's not that. It's just... No one has ever called me that before..."

"Now that I call you that, you should do the same as well. Make your pick, Orihime or Inoue. I don't really mind, as long as you call me by my name"

"Inoue..." He pronounced it tenderly.

She giggled after hearing it come from his mouth.

"What is it? Did I say it wrong?" He inquired.

"No. It's just that I never imagined you saying it. It sounded beautiful"

"Is that so?" He looked at her with curiosity. "What is the importance of using names?"

"It is a sign of closeness. Friends do it all the time for that reason. It's more... Personal"

"Will that make me more human? Will that draw me closer to understanding and using this... Heart?" He asked desparately.

"It is a first step" She replied with a smile. "Don't worry, Cifer-kun. I will teach you everything you need to know about the human heart. I promise I'll help you be..."

Ulquiorra widened his eyes as she made her vow.

"...The best you can be" Her smile seemed to be a sun, shining in the face of the Arrancar.

~~~~X~~~~

**Woah! That was a long chapter wasn't it? However, I bet you are glad to finally get some answers, or at least an idea, but in the end, I'm sure you enjoyed it.**

**Now for real, next update is gonna be after the release of another story's chapter, but I'll be back after that for sure!**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Great chapter! Okay! No worries. I understand your decision. But I digress. To my review!_**

**_I enjoyed this a TON! You updated quite quickly! I wasn't expecting one so soon! Lol. But yea._****_Looks like Orihime has encountered a resurrected Ulquiorra! But, whose side is he really on? The Demons'? Or his own? After all, Neliel did have that "vision" of sorts. What could this all mean?_**

**_And the others will be training in the Dangai huh? Sweetness. Looking forward to what power-ups everyone will gain! Will Neliel also be able to fully get herself healed? Also, what about her new Resurrección mentioned in CFYOW and shown in Bleach Brave Souls? Will you possibly be using that? It'd be cool to see Grimmjow's as well!_****_Till next update! I hope it comes soon!_**

**Reply: You sure like to digress, don't you? No worries man, I'm glad to see your support.**

**About Ulquiorra, I can tell that in this chapter he does show his true colors, but beware, for you'll find that things are more complicated than they seem.**

**About the CFYOW versions, I won't be using them for a very simple reason. Those forms are not _Resurrección_, they are described as a power above it, given by the Hogyoku. I decided that the Hogyoku's return would only be to help Ichigo, nothing more, so those forms won't make an appearance in this fic. On the other hand, I will be giving them new forms based on _Resurrección_ (That implies powers connected to the Espada's aspects of death and stuff like that) so worry not, there's a lot of stuff coming in the future****.**

**Vhaerun54: _Haven't read or looked for new fanfic for several months. Found this beastly fic and am surprised that I'm 3 chapters in and it has so few reviews for as good as it is! Look forward to what you have in store as this is getting good._**

**Reply: Thanks man, I wonder about the same. It would be great to see what more people think, but just for the amount of follows I can see that many are enjoying it, and that's good enough. In a way, I'm Evhron from the future so, you're in for a surprise!**

**See you all in the next chapter. Evhron out.**

**PD: It came soon!**


	5. The Void Alone

"Ulquiorra is... Alive?!" Ichigo was in shock.

"No... No... No..." Nelliel muttered as her eyes darkened and the idea of her dream becoming a reality assaulted her. "Are you sure, Grimmjow?"

"I'm sure. It's true, I didn't fight him. But I hated that guy with my guts, so I can perfectly tell that it was him" He said with a bitter look.

"Who fought him then?" Ichigo asked.

"That was why I asked you guys to come here..." He answered, looking at the sleeping queen of Hueco Mundo. "I secured the escape of the weaker Arrancar under her orders. I believe Vasto Lorde and Adjuchas level Hollows escaped on their own, but in the end, it doesn't matter. What's important is that I went back to the same spot where I left her and found her bruised, bleeding and with burns clearly produced by a _Cero"_

"How horrible!" Nel said with anger and a hint of fear.

"Yeah... But strangely enough, he missed all vital points. Of course, if you take a look at her neck, it's clear that Ulquiorra didn't leave his trademark" He said as he made a sign for them to get closer and check that she didn't have a hole in Ulquiorra's favorite area.

"That's good. She hasn't been able to tell you about it?" Ichigo asked.

"Nah. She has only been awake for a couple seconds. I've never seen her so weak before actually. Taking care of her wasn't as much of a hassle as I thought it would be at first though, so it's fine"

Ichigo had a better look at her. Despite the collar of mask fragments, he thought that she was indeed beautiful, as he remembered Nel's description.

"She's gorgeous" Nelliel said, revealing she was doing and thinking the same as Ichigo.

"Y-Yeah... And I'm sure that she must be hella strong as well" He added, to not be misunderstood.

"Well, she _is_ my successor. Knowing Aizen, she was probably stronger than me when he encountered her as a Vasto Lorde" Nelliel replied immersed in her thoughts.

"I wonder how everything was for her before becoming an Espada" Ichigo thought as he looked at Nel.

"In any case, until she wakes up, there's not much we can do" Grimmjow concluded.

"That's right. For the time being, let's just keep getting stronger and prepare for the worse" Ichigo replied.

"And for that I need to fight you two! I don't care about anything now. There is a level above _Resurrección_. Like... Fuck me! I NEED to get there!" Grimmjow said anxious.

"*sigh* I guess I'll help you, but only because it will help us in our quest. Forget about fighting to the death" Nelliel said in reply.

"And who are you to order me around?" He asked back fiercely.

"Your superior. Tercera Espada, remember?"

"Ha! As if those numbers meant anything now that Aizen's gone" He spat back.

She gave Grimmjow a simple, yet very intimidating look in reply.

"Alright, alright, I get it. No need to give me death glares..." Grimmjow cooled down.

A typical Japanese school bell sounded, as if it was telling students there was a break.

"What the hell is that?" Grimmjow asked.

"For the look of things, it must be lunch" Ichigo replied, surprised by the sound as well.

"Lunch? I think Aizen had something like that..." The Espada recalled.

"Arrancar don't need to eat, right?" Ichigo asked.

"Not really. Until the stage of Vasto Lorde, Hollows eat each other constantly. If you don't eat others, you regress to a previous stage of evolution, losing more and more of your consciousness and individuality in the process. I believe that not having the need to eat is a reward of becoming an Arrancar and it makes me really happy it is that way, though it is easier to gain Reiatsu by eating other souls in this form as well" Nelliel explained.

"It's the best way indeed..." Grimmjow chuckled, showing he had no problem doing that.

"Hollows sure have it rough..." Ichigo muttered in reply, empathizing with Nel.

"Yet you seem to enjoy hunting us down, Shinigami!" Grimmjow reminded.

"It's not like that... It's just... I'm just doing my job and protecting those I love" Ichigo replied with a sense of duty, but he felt that it wasn't a completely valid statement at this point.

"Oh, really? Then why don't you do your job and dispose of the three of us at once?!" Grimmjow dared him.

"Stop, Grimmjow! You know the damage Hollows cause in the Human World" Nelliel defended him.

"Heh, that's funny. You sound as if you weren't a Hollow!" Grimmjow didn't stop.

"I AM a Hollow, but I gained consciousness by evolving. Stop bothering Ichigo! Like he said, he's only protecting what's precious to him. Besides, you know he wouldn't want to do us any harm"

"Tch... Whatever. If you believe yourself to be so damn superior and hate being one of us so much, why don't you go and feast with the Shingami?" Grimmjow spat carelessly.

A red mark in the shape of a hand immediately appeared on his right cheek.

"You're impossible, Grimmjow...!" She had tears in her eyes, but they were a type Ichigo had never seen in her. They weren't tears of sadness, neither tears of joy. They were tears of anger.

After that, Nelliel exited the tent without even waiting for Ichigo to go with her.

Ichigo gave a dread look at Grimmjow, who had just received his punishment, and threatened him.

"You ever make her cry again... And I'll fucking kill you" He said with a calm voice. However, this calm was the most menacing aspect about his expression. For Grimmjow, who was hot-headed as well, it meant Ichigo was being dead serious.

The Espada didn't say a word. Instead, he gave two trembling nods in reply.

Without a single moment to waste, Ichigo left the tent and went to Nel's side.

He had no idea as to why he felt so outraged by that situation. She always cried. It wasn't an event that occurred once in a blue moon as to feel that way. However, this time his words came out on their own, he couldn't explain why, but he just felt that what Grimmjow had damaged her, and he wouldn't allow that. Not with any of his friends.

She was a couple meters away, by the side of the Kouryuu, sitting down while hugging her knees. He knew she was crying.

"Nel... Are you alright?" He asked her as he put his hand on her shoulder.

"No... I'm not. Actually... Would you mind leaving me alone? You need to eat and I... I don't want to bother you with my problems" Her voice was sorrowful, broken and her eyes were sore due to the salty tears.

"Don't worry, I'm not hungry. Not when you are like this" He refused. "Also... Sorry for not telling you this morning that I once became a Vasto Lorde. It's just... I really don't like remembering that fight in general..."

"I know. I'm not upset for that at all" She made clear. "I would hate remembering the time I was a mindless Hollow too. And to say the truth... That's what bothered me the most about Grimmjow's words. They were true to an extent" She looked at Ichigo with a harmony of despair and sorrow.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo inquired.

"I don't like being a Hollow. I hate it. Hollows are violent, stupid and hateful. Needless to say, it's such a lonely existence..."

"But you are not like that, Nel. You are calm, smart and kind. And you _do _have friends, friends that care for you and stand by your side no matter what" He hugged her as he told her that.

She held him tightly and weeped in his chest.

Ichigo was glad he could comfort her. Most of the time she was cheerful and sweet... But as all Arrancar, and as all beings to tell the truth, it was clear that there was darkness inside her too. Now more than ever, he completely forgot of the kid he knew when he first arrived in Hueco Mundo.

Nelliel was a complex being. Intelligent, mature, strong, beautiful, and mysterious even. Why was she so different from the other Arrancar he had met across his journey? Why was she so... Human?

"I'm not like that..." She repeated inside her head. "I'm not... Hollow"

She couldn't have asked for anyone else to cheer her up in that moment. Having Ichigo's arms around her was a proof of her true feelings. She could feel his touch cleansing her soul, filling it. Making her forget about the void sensation she carried like a cross on her back, while his soothing voice reminded her of who she was now, cause that's what matters, right?

After letting it all out, she looked at him with a friendly smile.

"Thank you, Ichigo. You truly are the best friend I've ever had" She said as she dried her tears off.

Her confession made him blush a little, but he smiled afterwards.

"You can always count on me" He couldn't reply alike, cause looking back, he wasn't sure about how he felt about her.

Was she a friend? His best friend? Or was she... Something else? Whatever the answer was, by now the idea of her being a little sister was completely discarded from his mind.

"I know. For that reason is that I also got so angry with that idiot. He was talking shit about you, spouting stupid nonsense..." Her tone indicated how pissed that made her.

"Don't let it bother you. You know I would never hurt you"

"Right. You even said you would protect me" She remembered.

"No" He denied.

"Huh?" She muttered confused.

"I _swore_ I would protect you. I'd rather die than see you suffer, Nel" He answered, clearly not calculating the weight of his words in that moment.

That reply made her feel the same way she felt that morning. A burning desire she could not explain nor understand, yet she somehow knew that she needed to fulfill it.

She had felt his arms, his touch, not nearly comprehending why, and yet she wanted more...

But unfortunately for her, before she could try anything, Ichigo's stomach growled in sign of starvation.

"Well... It looks like I was hungry after all. It was to be expected though, we left without any breakfast" He said embarrassed.

"R-Right! Let's go grab something to eat!" She strongly pulled his arm and dragged him around again, all to forget her previous wish.

"Woah!" He didn't expect that sudden impulse.

In the center of their improvised camp was a table. Everyone else was sitting and eating cup Ramen. Even Pesche and Dondochakka were there, talking to Uryuu and qthe rest of his group.

"How do you even eat?" Renji asked Pesche.

"How rude! Of course I have a mouth under this mask!" Pesche replied offended, to later sorb a great amount of soup and noodles.

"Hey guys, what do we have to eat?" Ichigo asked as he sat with them on the table with Nelliel by his side.

"Cup ramen!" Yoruichi replied as she left a portion of meat flavour in front of him and one of curry in front of Nel.

"Don't we have... You know... Like, real food?" Ichigo impolitely asked.

"Look, Ichigo. What kind of food did you think we could bring here? Of course all we have is cup ramen and a variety of canned food. However, if you want to miss weeks- No. Months of training! Just to get 'real' food? you're free to do it..." She replied annoyed.

"Okay, then I'll go home for a moment and-"

"Like I would let you!" She punched his head.

"Hey! You said I was free to do it!"

"It was just a manner of speaking. Now grab those chopsticks and start chugging noodles down like there's no tomorrow!"

Ichigo started eating it. Despite its simple nature, it was undeniable that cup Ramen was one of the best foods ever created in human history, so it wasn't like he didn't enjoy it.

Only to prove that point, Nel, who had never tasted Ramen, devoured her portion after having the first taste.

"This is really good, Ichigo!" She was really glad that she tried it.

"See? She likes it" Yoruichi said proudly.

"And I like it too! It's just... Not a homemade meal, you know? But whatever, you're right"

"They don't seem to have a problem with that though" Uryuu pointed out, as the three Arrancar were having a blast as they ate.

"I had never seen Hollows eating actually... Amusing" Rukia said.

"We don't really need it, but later we can use these nutrients to form Reiatsu as well" Nelliel explained. "Although the quantity of food we'd have to eat to use Reiatsu as we normally do would have to be a lot bigger..."

"Say no more!" Yoruichi replied as she gave Nel three more cups. "Eat to your hearts content. I brought enough of these to feed you for a decade, so don't sweat it!"

"Thanks, Yoruichi-san!" She showed her gratitude by eating.

And so with that meal, started the first year of training.

By the next day, Grimmjow woke both Ichigo and Nel before the rest woke up.

"Hey, sorry for yesterday... But I need you to come. She... Harribel's awake" He informed.

Ichigo was about to yawn until he heard that. The idea of knowing more information about the enemy knocked out any amount of drowzyness produced by sleep.

"Really? Alright. Nel, are you-?" He looked to the side.

"I'm ready" She replied with a smile, getting up.

"Great. Let's go"

As they arrived at the tent, Grimmjow stopped them for a moment.

"I explained her the situation more or less. She accepted it, though she might still be a little hostile because of everything that's happened, so bear with me" He warned.

"Understood. Is it alright if we enter?"

"Yeah. I told her that you wanted to know about Ulquiorra. She said she had no problem. It seems that she woke up during night-time since I found her recognizing the place after falling asleep a couple times..." He admitted.

"Okay. Excuse us" Ichigo said politely as he entered.

"Kurosaki Ichigo" She recognized him immediately. "Though I never met you in person, we knew about your existence since you invaded Las Noches" She clarified due to his face of astonishment.

"Ah, that's it..." He sighed in relief.

"And you must be... My predecessor. Grimmjow told me about you, and I've also heard a couple rumors" She added referring to Nelliel.

"Yes. It is a pleasure to meet you, Harribel-sama" She referred in a respectful way, since she was the de-facto queen of Hueco Mundo.

"No need for formalities. In fact, if someone should be formal, it should be me" The blonde replied.

"Really? But after everything you did for everyone and the sacrifice you made... I don't think I can treat you as an equal after such display of your actions as Queen of all Hollows"

"It's what any leader would do. I know you'd have done the same if you were in my place"

"I don't know... But if you want me to call you by your name, it's fine by me"

"Very well, then. Grimmjow and you two wanted to know about the fight with Ulquiorra... Honestly, there's not much I can tell you that you don't know, apart from the fact that he increased his powers to monstrous levels. I used my _Resurrección_, and not even then was I able to defeat him in his normal state. It was... Really frustrating"

"He didn't say anything about the Oni? Use new attacks? Anything...?" Ichigo asked, trying to get more information.

"Nothing we don't know already. The only thing he said to me, was that it was not personal, before firing a _Cero_ at me. I didn't feel any murderous intent from him though. I have no idea what his motives are... But that's something I'd really like to know" She said with a look more of interest than of anger.

"Who cares about his motives? He was always a piece of shit! The only thing I want is for him to drop dead..." Grimmjow growled.

Everyone rolled their eyes at the Sexta's predictable basic behaviour.

"In any case, all we can do is train to get stronger. Try to gain strength by improving your powers or learning new techniques. Please show her the place and explain how things are around here, Grimmjow" Ichigo said in reply. "Oh and... Tell her about...Segunda Etapa"He added to finish.

Grimmjow's eyes seemed to dilate when he was reminded of such a possibility.

"I-I will"

With Harribel joining the team, they were ready to train to their full potential.

Everyone made their best efforts day after day, to either surpass their own limits or to learn new powers. In the end, everyone had become stronger in different ways.

Over the first year, the various improvements and changes were:

Yoruichi increased her stamina by training the hand to hand combat group. Inaddition to that, she also trained Kidou with Hachigen to improve her Bakudou and Hadou.

Uryuu became faster and stronger, while developing his Quincy abilities to a new level. In the physical, he grew a few centimeters taller and his hair grew a bit longer.

Chad continued experimenting with both of his arms. He didn't show a new form, but he was definitely more powerful than when he started training. He showed up at a good number of trainings with Yoruichi as well, which improved his speed and reflexes, which he lacked in comparison to the rest of his abilities. His aspect didn't change much though.

Renji became stronger in general aspects, but he still wanted to improve something else. Yoruichi taught him a way to meditate in order to speak with the spirits inside his Zanpakuto, but he hasn't achieved that step yet. His hair grew a bit longer and he changed his hair style a bit, though Ichigo still calls him pineapple head.

Rukia increased the destructive ability of her Hadou and the sealing prowess of her Bakudou. Aside from that, she started training hard to achieve Bankai. Her body is the same as always.

Pesche and Dondochakka looked no different from how they knew them, but they did get better at many things.

Pesche trained his swordsmanship and became really good at surprise attacks, though his greatest improvement was achieving the true infinity of the _Infinite Slick._

Dondochakka on his part, focused on training his Hierro, which Nel compared to Nnoitra's the last time she saw him. His face is as hard as ever, but he's now looking to improve the strength and the amount of attack beasts he can summon, like Bawabawa.

The Vizards were stronger in general terms and they remained looking the same way as always. The biggest improvement they did though, was an increase in the time they could use their masks. They all got to 12 hours of transformation.

Moving on to the Espada, they became really strong, but couldn't find the answer to achieve _Segunda Etapa_ yet.

Harribel improved her stamina and speed, as well as her swordsmanship, which she trained with Nel every day. Turns out that the previous 3rd Espada was in fact stronger than her, so she wanted to learn the most she could from her, and even ended up treating _her_ as Nel-sama.

Grimmjow became much better at hand to hand combat, though he couldn't beat Yoruichi yet. He fought the Arrancar and Ichigo almost on a daily basis, so the ability with his Zanpakuto became greater as well. He would not give up on achieving a second transformation though, and he was really struggling to understand how to obtain it. He even trained during the night when everyone was asleep, though no one else knew about this. It could be said, that he was the one doing the most effort.

Nelliel on her part, learned Kidou and Hakuda to develop her _Shunkou_, and although she couldn't control it very well, Yoruichi was helping her to maintain her power. It came as a surprise that the Reiatsu aura created by her _Shunkou_ was of fire nature, which made the catwoman chuckle, as it reminded her of someone very close to her. Aside from that, though she wasn't supposed to do it due to her broken skull and the bracelet's limitations, she was going through a secret special training, motivated by her desire to protect Ichigo, who had become incredibly strong.

Finally, the substitute Shinigami had gained total control over his masked form (15 hours of transformation under normal conditions, just like Mashiro) and went through the ritual of learning the _Final Getsuga Tenshou,_ once more, so he could regain the power he had when he faced Aizen. When he used Bankai, a chain appeared from his Zanpakuto and tied itself around his arm. Due to a year passing, he was a bit taller and muscular, and his hair had become longer, covering both of his eyes if he didn't comb it a little. Nel thought he looked really good, though she didn't have the guts to say it, and blushed instead when she looked at him for too long. Back to Ichigo, his new challenge was learning Kidou and practicing how to use his masked form along with this new level of Bankai.

Back to the present, after a long day of training, Nelliel noticed that his Hollow Reiatsu was abysmal. That reminded her of the fact that she never knew about the origin of that. She wanted to know more about him, and even during that year of training, she would ask him to tell her about his adventures, so Ichigo would tell her a part while the two laid in their respective sleeping bags at night.

She would always look at him with adoration as he told her about his life. He told her everything. Ever since he was a kid, protecting her sisters from Hollows and other evil spirits (despite not having Shinigami powers at the time) to his final battle with Aizen. The only thing he kept secret from her was information about his Hollow.

That night though, Ichigo asked Nel about her life in return.

"Well, Hollows don't retain memories from before their evolution into an Adjuchas, but I'll do my best"

"Please. I'd really like to know" He said, convincing her.

"I used to be an animal type of Adjuchas, a large chamois to be exact [more similar to a great Kudu in size]. Ever since then, I hated fighting, so I had a self-imposed rule to only feed on those who attacked me first, but since Hollows tend to be violent... Well, you'll imagine that I ended up eating quite a lot" She admitted with a mixture of laugh and embarrassment.

"And how was it once you became a Vasto Lorde?" He asked her.

"It was strange, haha. After feeding upon countless Adjuchas, I became smaller, but gained the upper humanoid part of my body. For the first time, I had a human face, though only my mouth and nose could be seen as my skull actually covered my eyes in that form. Despite that, I could see through these two holes" She said pointing at her skull and continued. "I also used to have only one human arm, cause the other was a sharp lance-like weapon that was perfect for rapid and strong attacks"

"I see. So... What did you use to do during that time?"

"I don't really like to remember the times I fed on other Hollows to keep my form, but I did my best to protect weaker Adjuchas to redeem myself. Most of the time, the Hollows I saved from being killed ran after I saved them because they were scared of my strong aura and appearance as a Vasto Lorde, but that was until I met _them__"_ She smiled with nostalgia as she remembered one of the happiest encounters in her life.

"Them? By any chance you mean..." Ichigo predicted.

"Yes! Pesche and Dondochakka were only little Adjuchas being pursued by a giant Hollow I cannot even recall. The only thing I remember is that I saw an insect and a weird statue-looking Adjuchas running for their lives. I stood in front of them, stabbed the creature until it died and turned my back, expecting them to have been long gone... But instead, they got on the floor as they bowed and thanked me"

"As expected from them" Ichigo pointed out.

"Since then, we started travelling together. Even if I had to protect them from numerous hazards, I felt much better having company, so I didn't care"

"How was it that you became an Espada then? If it's not a bother"

"No, not at all. I like that you're interested in knowing about me as well. It makes me feel like I'm not the only one, haha" She replied, relieved to see that the interest was not one-sided.

Ichigo chuckled in reply. "Of course I wanna know about you" He confessed and got his characteristic strawberry tone.

Blushing as well, she continued: "So... After a long time minding our business through the endless desert of Hueco Mundo, we came across a pair of weird looking Hollows. I couldn't understand why they didn't have masks, but the answer came moments later. They were Arrancar"

"Were they part of Aizen's army?"

"Yes. They were the first members he recruited to create the Espada. They had the task to find Vasto Lorde level Hollows, and although they were currently Espada, many of them became Números after he encountered more powerful Hollows"

"And you were one of those"

"Exactly. The Arrancar wanted to bring me to their master, but I refused. Because of that, they decided to take me by force. I was surprised to find that they were stronger than I was, but despite that, I managed to put up a good fight. In the end, the result was the same though. They took the three of us to the palace of Las Noches"

"Dammit" He muttered.

"Yeah... Once I was thrown to the floor of the palace as some kind of bounty, I looked up to understand what was going on. Then I noticed that something was very wrong. There wasn't a Hollow sitting at the throne. It was a Shinigami, I could tell that he perfectly matched the description I had heard from other Hollows during my endless journey. Aizen was sitting in the throne of Las Noches, with an army of Arrancar at his feet"

"What did you do?"

"At first, my reaction was to stand up and point my lance-like arm at him. This made him chuckle, which angered me even more, so I decided to attack him in front of everyone. I didn't care about the others, cause I knew that if I defeated their leader they would cower in fear"

"A smart assumption..."

"Thanks, but... However, he easily blocked my lance with his bare hand. I was in shock... And it gets worse. My actions made one of the other Arrancar angry, so he shot a _Cero_ at me. I don't know what got into me, but I turned around in the last possible moment and somehow started swallowing the attack. It was a reaction purely driven by instinct, I was probably just as scared as they were, but after I swallowed the _Cero,_ I felt as if I mixed my own with it to spit a devastating attack at the Arrancar"

"So that's how you learned about your _Cero Doble"_

"Right. I disintegrated the Arrancar since he was a weaker being, possibly one of the first Aizen transformed merely for experimentation... Anyway, I thought that display of power would at least scare Aizen, but after seeing that, a delighted smile was drawn upon his arrogant face"

"That bastard..."

"That power was the last proof he needed to want to turn me not only into an Arrancar, but into an Espada as well. He gave the sign to the other Arrancar to stand by. After that, he offered me a greater power. Up to then, I was completely denying his offer, but you know how he is... He read me like a book and intuited that I would comply if he put the lives of Pesche and Dondochakka on the line..."

"Damned Aizen!" Ichigo was enraged upon hearing that.

"But not everything was bad. By becoming an Arrancar, I indeed became more powerful. At the same time, by becoming an Espada, I earned the right to ask for my friends to be turned into Arrancar and become my Fracción. The only thing I had to do in return was looking for other Vasto Lordes. A while after, Nnoitra came along, although he clearly came from an Adjuchas, but the rest is history"

"I liked knowing more about you. Though by hearing your story, I can't pretend like I'm not angry at Aizen for everything he did"

"That's true... But what's done is done and gone. Besides, maybe we wouldn't have met if all that didn't happen" She said while looking at the bright side of things.

"You're right. There's no point in lamenting about the past. It's better to focus on enjoying the present and hoping for a brighter future" Ichigo complied, smiling at her.

Nel thought it was the right moment to clear her major doubt about him.

"Hey, Ichigo. There is something I've been wanting to ask you" She said as she got half of her body up from the bag to have a better look at him.

"Yeah? What is it?" He did the same and gave a good look at her beautiful eyes.

"How is it that you have Hollow powers?" She went straight to the core.

"Um... You see, it's not something I really like telling other people..."

"You don't have to reply if it troubles you..." She said with a sad yet sweet voice.

Her tender tone ended up convincing him.

"What the hell... Like I have to worry about telling you. Normally it's troublesome because most people I interact with are Shinigami, but you are a Hollow and one of my best friends... So as long as you don't become afraid of me, I don't really mind"

"I would never be afraid of you"

That sentence, seemed so natural, so simple... Yet it was defining for him.

His Hollow side had always been a delicate matter, even in the presence of his friends. However, Nel was probably the first one who said it in such a convincing manner, but such a thing was possible, because it was true.

"R-Really...?" Hope glistened in his brown eyes. "If that's the case, guess here goes nothing...

Ever since I was born, there has been a Hollow inside me. I didn't really know about his existence until I came across Zangetsu. After obtainingBankai, I felt how he spoke to me and tried to possess my body for the first time when I was fighting Rukia's brother, Byakuya. I don't know if you remember when I told you"

"Rukia is the girl with black raven-like hair, right?" Nel tried to confirm.

"Yeah" He simply replied, although he thought that her description was the best he had eved heard.

"I guessed right!" She clapped her hands as if she had won some kind of guessing game.

"Haha. Anyway..." He got serious and Nel paid attention to him once again. "After that, the encounters with him became more and more frequent and I felt that his powers became greater as time passed.

Once it became too strong, I asked Shinji, a previous member of the Vizards, to help me tame it. They trained me to conquer my inner Hollow and to use the power of the mask, similar to how they did now, but more intense and less rewarding, but that's not important.

Everything was alright until my fight with Ulquiorra, but you know what happened already. After turning into a Vasto Lorde for the first time, there were some irregular aspects about my Hollow mask and transformation, but after learning the _Final Getsuga Tenshou_, I gained total control over both of my Zanpakuto spirits, Tensa Zangetsu and... Well, Zangetsu. That's the name he gave me, though I don't think that's his real name.

Long story short, I fought Aizen and gradually lost my powers, so it basically ends there. I don't know much about him to say the truth, but despite the little knowledge I have, I feel that he's really dangerous if left alone"

"It sounds like trouble. Just think about it, what kind of Vasto Lorde could defeat an Espada? And even worse, an Espada that achieved a second transformation" Nelliel concluded.

"Yeah, I know. You don't seem afraid of it though, which makes me glad"

"How could I? You've only done good to me... Ichi" She shortened his name in a cute way.

"Ichi?" A certain pink haired Lieutenant appeared on his mind upon hearing that.

"I really like the shortened Nel, so I thought that it would be nice to have a special way to call you as well" She replied innocently.

"Is that so?"

"You dislike it?"

"Not really, just a little cute for my taste, but coming from you it doesn't bother me. In fact, I think it sounds good when you say it" He smiled.

"I'm happy that you think that way. I always remember that time you said I was dear to you... It makes me feel strange, but in a good way! I... I don't know how to describe it..."

"You know, Nel? I think I can relate. For some reason, I feel like I can talk about anything when I'm with you. You make me laugh a lot and you stand by my side no matter what. I really appreciate your company. I... I don't know if you feel the same..." Ichigo decided to let it all out at once.

After hearing his confession, Nel just wanted to hug him and tell him how she would stay by his side for evermore.

However, there was something on her mind that she needed to clear before anything else. Ichigo's trust reminded her that she hadn't been completely honest with him. As she remembered Grimmjow's acid words at the beginning of their training, she decided to let him know her most inner secret.

"Ichigo... There's something I need to tell you" She decided to exit her bag and sit by his side to tell him.

"W-What is it Nel?" He was all uptight by her action.

"Although you didn't tell me at first, you trusted me enough in the end to share something so personal"

"I mean... It's not like a secret or something of sorts. It's just not pleasant to describe or explain"

"Despite that, you've always been honest with me, so I think it's only fair if I am the same way with you"

"Is there something you've been hiding from me in the first place?" Ichigo asked a bit worried due ti her serious tone.

"Not just from you. From everybody. The only ones who know are Pesche and Dondochakka because... Well, they are my Fracción"

"What is it about?"

"It has to do with my aspect of death"

"Huh? What is that?"

"You don't know what that is?"

"Maybe I heard it somewhere, but I'm not sure"

"One of the most common Hollow beliefs is that only a select few are meant to become Vasto Lordes. Normally, Arrancars would only be born from them, as they are the most evolved form of Hollow. The powers of a Vasto Lorde go far beyond those of other Hollows, because of the link between them and the aspect of death the being represents. I'm not sure Nnoitra was a good example, since he was originally an Adjuchas, but his aspect of death was Despair. You could interpret that in many ways, like the hardness of his Hierro and the despair that would provoke in the souls of most that fought him"

"And how do you know which is your aspect?"

"It's hard to explain... But it is some kind of voice that resonates inside your head when you turn into an Arrancar for the first time, the voice of the beast inside our sword... Cause our Zanpakutous _do _have spirits as well, but I haven't interacted with mine for a really long time. If you deny its wishes, you'll be reminded of it in your dreams, each one worse than the last, though some say this leads to having premonitions as well. As if accepting that form of suffering rewarded you with a new power... But I prefer thinking that's not the case" She said, remembering the nightmare that haunted her every day since that morning.

"Scary... But, I guess, these aspects of death should somehow relate to your powers, right?" He deduced.

"Exactly. Please understand, that though it does have a lot to do with your personality, it doesn't mean that the aspect defines what we truly are" She clarified, worried that Ichigo might get the wrong idea.

"I understand. But why are you so uncomfortable?"

"Because my aspect of death is not something nice. It's not something I like telling other people. The previous group of Espada knew, but only because Aizen made us share it, but I really dislike mentioning it. Please... Promise me that you won't hate me for it, Ichigo!" She requested with worried puppy eyes.

"Nel. I would never be able to hate you, even if I tried. No matter what you say, I _know_ you. You are not evil in any way" He smiled at her and pat her head.

"You really mean it, Ichi? Then I guess I shouldn't worry about it..." She felt relieved and ready to reveal the truth: "I hate it because, my aspect of death... is _Betrayal"_

Ichigo looked at her seriously for a moment. "And does that have anything to do with who you are?"

"It does. I was betrayed by Nnoitra when he cracked my skull. I betrayed the Espada by helping you before. My _Cero Doble_ betrays the attacker by sending his _Cero_ back at him with even more power. And finally..." She stopped for a moment, black and red memories flashing through her mind. "...I betray my very being by wishing I was born something other than a Hollow"

"Do you really feel that way about yourself?"

"Sometimes" She admitted, remembering a long forgotten past, even older than her days with her brothers. "I think the worst part of it all, is the loneliness we're bound to. I don't know why... But, despite having Pesche and Dondochakka, they just don't fill this strange void inside of me"

Ichigo suddenly had a wave of intuition wash over him. He wasn't sure about how he felt about her until that very moment. That was when he realised, that he had to say something. He had to show her how much she meant for him. With that in mind, he made a decision, and one that would change his life at that.

"Then... How would it make you feel... If I was a Hollow like you?"

Her hazel eyes opened wide and became clearer as she heard him. Ichigo continued, in spite of her silent attention.

"Do you think... I would possibly be able... To fill that void... Nel?"

Thinking about it. She remembered how that void was closed when she saw him again. She could feel as the world became brighter. As her own existence became lighter. Lighter than the flesh and bones that contained her. Lighter than her Hollow Reiatsu. Lighter than the words that came out from her mouth. It was then that she understood that the void in fact had one single solution. Only one special person could fill that hollow, and that unique person was... Kurosaki Ichigo.

With that sorted out, her mind didn't even process her thoughts this time. Her hands simply moved by themselves as she grabbed Ichigo's face tightly and wildly connected her mouth to his. She felt like her tongue had a life of its own as it ventured inside the mouth of the Shinigami.

The moist and warm inside only invited her to stay that way, embracing Ichigo's tongue with hers and inhaling his breath like it was the only air she needed.

Nothing mattered anymore. There was no space. There was no time. All there was in her tiny little world, was her Ichigo.

The only thing that filled her void.

The only thing that made her truly happy...

**THE ONLY THING SHE NEEDED TO EXIST**

Ichigo was surprised at first, but his reaction was the same. He simply loved everything about her. Not even in his wildest dreams would he encounter such a perfect match for him. A girl that was very cute, incredibly funny, tremendously smart, hella strong and above it all, someone who accepted him for what he was entirely. Human, Hollow, Shinigami. It didn't matter to Nel, and that was what he loved the most about her.

They broke the kiss when the need for air forced them to. The two looked at each other like they never had before. They were both panting, yet rejoicing in the most exihilarating moment they had had in their whole lives.

"Ichigo..." She panted his name with difficulty, but with a cute voice.

"Yes... Nel...?"

"What... Is that called...?"

"What?"

"That thing... With the lips... I... I wanted to do it... Many times before... I don't know why... But... I thought... I thought it would be weird... If I asked you"

"Oh that...? That is a kiss" He panted.

"Kiss...?" She giggled. "I like how it sounds... But..."

"Hm?"

"What is this feeling called, Ichi? I need... I need to know the name of this feeling in my chest...! I need to know this emotion that drives me insane just by thinking about you!" She desperately requested.

Of course. How foolish he had been.

What Nel had been trying to say the whole time...

What Hollows lacked but she didn't know how to describe...

It was simply... Love.

Hollows had such a lonely existence, that they didn't know about such a thing as love. The ones who managed to create bonds of friendship, never really got to the point where they could establish a deeper relationship such as becoming a couple.

But Ichigo taught her how to love, even if he or she didn't notice. The affinity they shared was enough to make the feeling flourish between the two, so before they knew it, they had fallen for each other.

"This, Nel. This is love" He replied and kissed her passionately again.

愛

"I see... So this is that so called love..." She related, having heard the term but not nearly understanding its deep meaning.

"Yeah..." He panted, blushing, their noses touching as their eyes gazed upon the other.

"Then I must know..." She held Ichigo and pinned his body to the sleeping bag, becoming serious.

"N-Nel?" He was surprised by her behaviour, and a tad afraid due to her change of mood.

"...Do you love me, Ichigo?" She asked him with a tender voice, despite the strength with which she was holding him.

That was it. No more running off. No more hesitation. The moment of truth had arrived, and he had no other choice but to either accept or decline. The adrenaline was rising to a point in which it became difficult to breath, his heart beating faster and faster as her hazel eyes seemed to stare right into his soul.

However, even in the heat of the moment, deep inside, he knew that there was only one possible answer. Hell, he had already gone that far... How could he be so scared to admit that fact?

"Nel... I..." The words started escaping on their own, not from his brain, but from his heart. "I love you, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. I've loved you for a long time, but I wasn't completely sure 'bout what I felt and... I'm sorry for only having the courage now to tell you that..." He answered, his tone indicating how disappointed he was in himself.

"It doesn't matter, Ichi. As long as you love me, I'll be happy. I don't care about anything else" She replied as she bent over him and kissed him again.

They cuddled and rolled around the tent for about an hour. They didn't care about anything as long as they had each other.

"I don't want to face... The void alone" She thought as she embraced the feeling of being loved. "The warmth in me... Swallowed whole" She wrapped her tongue around his. "Your fearless eyes... Your powerful soul..." She could feel his unparalleled Reiatsu accepting hers protectively. "Speak to me... So gracefully..."

As she embraced him tightly, intensely kissing him, Ichigo sweated a cold drop as he realized his inexperience in the field. He knew how men and women relationships worked, biologically speaking, but he had never been in such a risqué situation before.

"Can I... go through with this? Will I be able to make her happy if...?" His mind raced and went in circles trying to find the right answer but...

Despite his anxiety, not sure if he'd be ready to continue any further, Nel simply embraced him and whispered:

"Good night, Ichi. I love you"

"Huh?" He muttered as she swiftly drifted into slumber, resting her head right on top of his chest. "Well... I guess this is for the better" He thought as he embraced her too, cuddling her hair.

The two slept together in his sleeping bag, believing that they would never be alone again.

Celebrating, that they had found their other half.

Rejoicing in the fact that the missing fragments in their lives had finally started to fill the void inside of them.

The restless hollow that lived inside the two...

* * *

**Disclaimer: I. Don't. Write.** **PWP.**

**(At most, Lemon/Limes, but I'll elaborate on this).**

**Just saying it in case you were gonna ask. If there is something I write, it is limes, because the feelings are more important than needless over-the-top sex. This fic is rated M cause, there will be limes, there will be gore and I've touched topics that I think are adult suited.**

**I have nothing against sexual intercourse, actually I think it is a great opportunity to exploit the relationship of characters and show how much it has developed, but I don't put sexual content over the meaning behind sex. If there's something I hate, it's the deliberate destruction the personality of characters suffer in fanfics that commit the mistake I mentioned before.**

**Also regarding this chapter, I decided to summarize the events that occurred during the year of training and go straight to the important stuff. I might be creative and all, but there is no way in Hell I'm writing a whole year of events through separate chapters.**

**With that said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm looking forward to see your reviews.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Interesting! This was a good chapter! Simply amazing! And yes. I tend to digress quite a bit. Lol._**

**_But anyway, I look forward to more of this soon! I'm glad to see Orihime vowing to help Ulquiorra understand the "Heart" better. Good to see!_**

**_I'm also looking forward to Neliel possibly learning Shunko! That'd be cool to witness. Not only that, Yoruichi was truly a riot in this chapter! Lol. Her shenanigans made me laugh._**

**_Looking forward to the next chapter! Please update again soon okay?_**

**Reply: Always happy to reply your reviews.**

**No Orihime and Ulquiorra in this chapter, but they'll be back soon, I promise.**

**As you probably saw, Nel has learned _Shunkou_, though she still has to master it. Happy that Yoruichi's moments made you laugh. She's such a badass but a smug at the same time, so I exploited that in the best way I could think of.**

**I updated as soon as I could, and I'll keep trying my best. Thanks for your time and kind words.**

**midnightscar17: _What happened to ichigos quincy side. Hes a 4 part hybrid. Human Quincy shinigami hollow._**

**Reply: He doesn't know that yet, lol. I'll get to that eventually, either here or in a future sequel (in case there is). By the way I like your name, I used to call myself Darkmatter17, haha.**

**See you next chapter! Evhron out.**

**PD: If you want to think of some kind of Anime Opening for this story, listen to 'Gianizm Hachi' by Nightmare. In case of an Ending... I think it would be 'Lazy Mind' by Showtaro Morikubo. Needless to say, if someone made an AMV trying to capture this story it'd be awesome.**


	6. A New Level

Orihime and Ulquiorra were sitting in the chairs that originally belonged to the Espada.

She looked at him with a hint of sadness, since his expression was still melancholic.

"Knowing him... He probably wasn't happy to be revived" She thought while her eyes seemed to devour him.

"What is it, Inoue?" He asked a bit troubled by the look in her eyes.

"Ah! Sorry... I was just..."

"If you're wondering about my expression... It's correct, I'm not entirely pleased with the current situation"

"Why is that?"

"Although I wanted to see you to understand the heart to a greater extent, the Oni were the ones who ordered me to bring you to this place"

"So that part was true after all..."

"Unfortunately, yes. Even worse than that, is the fact that they didn't tell me exactly what they wanted from you... Though I can imagine that it has something to do with your special power"

"But I... I don't want to help them!" She replied angrily. "I know that they only want to cause pain and suffering... And my friends are trying to stop them! Why would I do such thing?!"

"I understand how stupid you might think it is considering you wouldn't want to cooperate, but they must have thought of something to force you to comply. But don't worry, whatever it is they're planning, I have a scheme of my own to counter them" Ulquiorra revealed.

"They can't spy on you, can they?" She asked, worried that the Demons discovered that he was telling her all this.

"Probably they can, but they haven't done such thing. My senses are as sharp as they have ever been, so any source of Reiatsu, for little they are, would be easily identified. Even the source of the power of the Oni is Reiryoku in essence, so they shouldn't be able to do anything without me noticing"

"Also... You mentioned that you commanded the conquest of Hueco Mundo. Who were you commanding? I doubt that they were just grunts or lesser-Demons the ones who achieved such thing"

"Right. The higher Oni, known as the Princes of Jigoku, left me in charge of the 8 Dukes of Hell. They are very powerful Oni that have the ability to release their swords"

"Like Shinigami... Or more like, Hollows?" Orihime asked.

"That's where things get complicated. It turns out that the Oni don't use Zanpakutou, but whatever the name of weapon they have is, their release allows them to transform into their true Demon forms while keeping their blades. In vague but effective terms, it's like the powers of Shinigami and Hollow combined. Like having a Resurrección and a Bankai at the same time. Though you should keep in mind that they are entirely different in many aspects"

"Where are the 8 Dukes now?"

"I dispatched them to different palaces around Las Noches. I even forbid them of entering this palace without my permission"

"That means... You must be incredibly stronger than they are!" She felt relieved to think that.

"I don't know about that... I'd say their base forms match my first Resurrección, but I have no idea of how strong they get when they release their swords"

"That reminds me... Are you entirely...?"

"I am a pure Hollow, if that's what you were wondering"

"Why were your powers increased so much, then?"

"I don't know... Like I told you, the Oni didn't explain anything about my revival. Their king, Yama, simply gave me the position of Commander for this mission and, if I succeded, the authority to reign over Hueco Mundo as its king, though still subdued to Yama's absolute authority of course"

"What does the king of the Oni look like?"

"You're really curious about everything, aren't you?" Ulquiorra asked back due to her incessant questioning.

"Sorry..." She apologized with a saddened look.

"No, I was just pointing that out. I'm not bothered by this at all. Are all humans this curious?"

"I don't know if I could reply to that... I mean, some are, but some aren't. It's really difficult to speak of the whole human race as in general, though there are a couple things most people tend to share in common, no matter where they come from or what's their personality like"

"And what would those things be?" Ulquiorra inquired, really interested in her reply.

"I guess... Bonds. Things like friendship, family and... Love" She blushed a bit as she remembered her love for Ichigo.

"Could you explain to me... What is this love you speak of? I know I used the term back on your World... But to be honest, I've never really understood what it means" He confessed.

"Well... I think that depends on each person. Everyone feels and interprets love in different ways. For me, I think it would be... The happiness you feel when spending time with a person and the empathy you have with the other's feelings"

"Em-pa-thy?" He replied obliviously of what the term meant.

"It's the ability to feel what the other person feels. When you love someone, you can easily tell how they are feeling, but..." She stopped for a moment, immersed in her memories. "When you truly love someone, you can feel the exact same way as him... Or her!" She snapped in the end.

"Is that one of the powers of the heart?"

"Indeed. And I think it's one of the most difficult to grasp. You can, or at least, should always be connected to your own heart... But to feel empathy, you have to connect yours to the heart of the other person"

"What value is there in doing that though? For example, if someone was feeling sad or angry, there wouldn't be a benefit in me feeling the same" He replied confused.

"While that may be true, by feeling the same is that you can understand others in the best way possible. Because, maybe that person's grief is too much to hold alone, but if you help them carry it, you can both go through it together. Other times, it may be that the person is unable to find a solution to their problem, but by being in their shoes, you may be able to find an answer" She explained.

"Shoes?" He asked back, looking at his feet. "Are they that connected to the heart?!" He concluded astonished.

Orihime burst in laughter. "No, no! It's just an expression. To be in someone elses shoes, means to be able to feel the same as them, or at least understand what they are going through"

"I see..." He was a bit embarrassed.

"Though I have to admit, I never thought you'd make me laugh, Cifer-kun!" She even had tears of laughter in her eyes.

"But... you are crying..." He said a bit worried.

"Huh? Oh, these tears are not sad ones. Eyes tend to let tears out when an emotion is too strong. These are happy tears, which prove how much you made me laugh!"

"I... Made someone... Laugh..." He muttered in disbelief. "How did I do it?"

"This time it was accidental since it was a misunderstanding, though sometimes, misunderstandings can give the best laughs. There are people that learn the art of comedy and they create jokes to make others laugh on purpose"

"I wonder what's that like..."

"Well, if you had told me your real intentions before I would've been able to show you a collection of young comedians I had laying around" She pointed out.

"Sorry"

"Don't worry. I imagine that you didn't really have a choice. Though I would like to know more about your plan"

"About that... I'd rather not tell you. There's a possibility that everything is compromised if I reveal the plan to anybody"

"But how am I supposed to help you then?" She asked confused.

"By pretending you're just a prisoner in front of the Oni and not revealing any information. Just do as you're told while still showing some aversion towards their schemes and everything should work out"

"Okay..." She sighed. "Though Cifer-kun..."

"Hm?"

"Trust is also an important part in forming bonds. It means that you're willing to put your heart in the hands of others"

"My... Heart...?" He inspected the hole in his chest and then looked at his hand.

"I know that it might be too soon for you to do something like that... But I want you to know that you can trust me. As long as you're not up to something bad... I'm always willing to help you!"

"Trust..." He muttered. "I wonder what it feels like..." He thought.

His mind drifting was stopped by the opening of a small Kimon, right in front of the table.

A thin-looking humanoid being went through the Kimon. He had a black tunic covering his whole body and a bird-mask, similar to those of the doctors during the Black Plague, covering his face.

"Ulquiorra. The King demands your presence and the human's in the throne room, now" He said with an inexpressive voice. In fact, the tone kinda reminded Orihime of Ulquiorra.

"Understood, Kurokage. Let's go, woman" Ulquiorra went back to his cold expression with no effort.

"Y-Yes..." Orihime felt a bit saddened by this, since the moment they would ask for her powers was drawing closer.

They entered the Kimon to go into the depths of Hell.

~~~~X~~~~

The familiar sound of the alarm woke Ichigo up. Different to other days however, the first thing he felt was the sweet scent of Nelliel, who was opening her eyes as well.

Despite her hair being a mess in the morning, being so close to her, he felt that he had never seen a woman so beautiful before.

After a long yawn of hers that reminded Ichigo of a female lion waking up, she noticed how he was almost hipnotized while staring at her.

"Good morning, Ichi!" She happily greeted as she hugged him and gave him a quick kiss.

"Ah, good morning Nel... How did you sleep?"

"Like never before. No nightmares, no cold, no... Void, whatsoever" She felt as if all her troubles were gone.

"Really? I'm glad..." He caressed her hair gently.

"Oh... It must be a mess" She said, a bit bothered.

"Nah. It's just perfect" He replied with a smile to comfort her.

"Thank you..." She giggled and kissed him again.

"Well, it's time to start another day of training"

"Yes! I'll keep doing my best to master _Shunkou_"

"I can't wait to see that"

"I'll show you once I can control it well. For now, just focus on your objectives"

"Sure thing. Today I'll start my Kidou training with Hachi. I don't know if I'll be able to pull it off perfectly though..."

"Don't worry, Ichigo. Just do your best! Like you always do..." She playfully kissed him on the cheek and got out of the bag they shared the whole night.

"You're right. With you cheering for me, I feel like there's nothing I can't do!" He replied, all fired up.

"That's the way I feel every time you support me..." She thought as she looked at Ichigo in adoration.

Once on the table for breakfast, they acted the same way as always so Yoruichi would not bother them. They knew that sooner or later their relationship would be discovered, but they tried their best to keep it to themselves for as long as possible. Also, given the circumstances, they couldn't forget that they had to become stronger to fight the Oni. However, they knew they were mature enough to contain their desires and focus on the training for a whole day.

Nel went to train with Yoruichi and the other Espada as usual, while Ichigo joined Rukia and Hachi to learn Kidou.

"You took a while before coming here" She teased.

"Yeah. I had to get used to using my mask again, and then I had to learn the final Getsuga once again..." He replied as he thought: "White Zangetsu wasn't as bothersome as he was last time. Maybe because he knew that all I wanted was learning it for the training it meant, and not to use the _Final Getsuga Tenshou_ itself"

"Very well, Ichigo. It's time to start you down the path of Kidou. For your style of combat, I don't think you're very interested in Bakudou or Kaidou, are you?" Hachigen asked.

"Not much, to be honest. Though I would like to know a couple of Bakudou spells that could come in handy"

"Very well. I'm thinking that techniques such as _Dankuu_ would be what you're looking for, though you'll need lots of practice to achieve them"

"Yeah, I know"

"Now... What level of Hadou do you want to achieve?"

"As highest as I possibly can" He replied determined. "If you can get me to 99, it'd be perfect"

"You're being quite cocky considering you've never used Kidou before" Rukia pointed out.

"Maybe I am... But I want to get as stronger as I possibly can if I want to fight those Demons. Can you do it, Hachi?"

Hachigen scratched the back of his head, a bit insecure. "You know it takes decades to master Kidou, Ichigo. Maybe you are talented, but even so, what you're asking me is teaching you techniques that are even forbidden because of their destructive power. I imagine you know the risks already"

"If you're worried about those dumbasses of Central 46, I couldn't care less. There is a chance that there won't be a Soul Society if the Oni are not defeated. This is something worth the risk" He concluded.

"As long as you understand the consequences, I'm willing to help you" Hachigen said in reply.

"Let's start with the basics then" Ichigo accepted.

And thus, started the second year of training, year in which everyone consolidated their new powers.

After achieving the state of meditation with his Zanpakutou, Renji achieved the true form of his final power as a Shinigami:

"_Bankai_: _So-Oh Zabimaru_!"

Uryuu and Chad seemed to increase their power a bit more, though none of them really showed new abilities. Both had been secretely developing new techniques though.

Pesche and Dondochakka mastered their _Cero Sincrético_ and increased the power of their unique abilities. Although it seems like they reached the top of their strength, they still had one more objective on their minds...

"Scavenge..."

"Keep your ground..."

The Vizards kept working on their masked forms. Although they had reached an end in their abilities, they decided to try to shorten the border between Shinigami and Hollows a bit more.

Rukia had also been meditating and practicing with her Zanpakutou after training her Kidou every day. She had already become an expert in the three forms of it, so the only thing left to do was...

"_Bankai..._"

Youruichi and Nelliel continued training with _Shunkou_, going as far as teaching the Arrancar the advanced ability of _Hanki_. In addition to that, since Yoruichi was also known as the Goddess of _Shunpou,_ she decided to develop Nel's _Sonido_ to a new level.

"Is that as fast as you can go?" She teased with a grin as the Arrancar made an effort to go even faster.

Ichigo and Hachigen had trained to the point where they could face each other in a duel of Kidou. Hachi's barriers were a real pain in the ass for Ichigo, but his destructive abilities had become astonishingly poweful as well.

"Hadou 91: _Senju Kouten Taihou_!" The orange-haired Shinigami attacked with an array of pink destructive lights.

Finally, Grimmjow and Harribel continued improving the powers of their _Resurrección_ through the year, but aside from creating a couple tag-team strategies, they hadn't accomplished a new form. Until...

Harribel woke in the middle of the night. She had had a dream with her Fracción.

"I wonder how they are doing... They must be worried about me" She thought. "Though it has been a little more than 2 years for me, it has only been a couple hours outside. It's gonna be a strange reunion for sure..." She said to herself as she imagined her hugging her Fracción desperately, when for them it was only gonna be a couple days. "I have to keep my composure when that happens... Huh?"

She noticed that she was all alone in the tent.

"Where is Grimmjow? I could swear I felt his presence all this time"

Then, once again she felt a faint presence of the 6th Espada.

"It's like a part of his Reiatsu is suddenly flowing with strength..." She thought as she decided to exit the tent.

She looked at the vastness of the Dangai. It was always dark, but during the day, there were lights to illuminate the place better.

Now, the only light she could see was a very small blue light in the distance. It shined as powerful as a star, but it faded sometimes.

"Could that be...?"

She went towards the light. She didn't know how much she walked, but it felt like she never ended. She decided to run towards it and even use _Sonido_ in between, until the light was just a couple hundreds of meters away.

Grimmjow was laying face up with his eyes closed, concentrated on charging his Reiatsu, which emanated from his body like a giant blue flame. As he did so, he entered his subconscious.

A giant black panther with electric blue stripes was growling inside of his inner world, which looked like a distorted version of Hueco Mundo's desert.

"Today is the day... That I'll finally beat you, and make all that power mine!" Grimmjow growled at it.

"Try all you want. You cannot defeat me. I am you, at your very core"

"That's one more reason for me to wanna beat you. You see, I cannot live with the fact that the good for nothing Ulquiorra beat his Inner Beast while I couldn't!"

"Well then, I'll face you once more. I'll do it as many times as you wish, until you give up"

"Then that makes us two. Haaaa!"

Grimmjow fought the creature with all he had. Slashes, _Cero_, _Desgarrón_... He left nothing out of his arsenal to face his inner beast.

The black and blue panther did not give up though, and it only seemed to get stronger and stronger to counter Grimmjow's attacks.

The Espada's theory was that he had to eat his beast, just like he had eaten thousands of other Hollows in the past. If he managed to eat his Inner Beast, Pantera, he would achieve his _Segunda Etapa_.

But, was that theory correct?

The Panther fired a giant blue _Cero_ from its mouth at Grimmjow, which he countered with a _Gran Rey Cero_ of his own.

"Heh! Did you enjoy that? Well, I'm telling you... I'm just warming up!" He lied.

"Nice try, but I know all about you. How you love to talk big when in fact, everyone's stronger than you. Harribel, Nelliel, Ulquiorra... Ichigo"

"Shut up! I know I can beat them, I am the strongest! I'll be king of Hueco Mundo!" He jumped with his claws pointed straight at the panther's face.

"Fool..." Pantera muttered as he opened his mouth to devour Grimmjow first.

"What the-?" The Espada had been eaten by the beast.

An immense darkness enclosed him.

"Wh-Where am I?" He asked.

"I think the question should be, _who_ are you?" A distorted voice said back.

"Huh? Why the fuck would I ask that? I know who I am. I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the strongest Hollow to ever exist!"

"Yes... You are in fact confused about who you truly are"

"Stop with the fucking riddles! You're giving me a headache... Go straight to the point"

"What is your essence. Your aspect of death?"

"Destruction. I perfectly know that"

"Perfect. But do you know, what destruction is? What causes destruction?"

"Power. Overwhelming power causes destruction"

"Wrong"

"Huh?!"

"Why do you destroy Grimmjow?"

"To get stronger"

"Wrong again"

"Tch... What is this game?"

"All I want is for you to be honest with yourself"

"If you put it like that... I guess, I destroy because I want others to see my strength. I want others... To fear me, because of my great power"

"That's more like it. But why do you look for fear? Why wouldn't you look for respect instead?"

"I... I don't know" He admitted.

"I'll tell you why. Only those who are truly powerful can earn respect. The truth is, you are afraid Grimmjow"

"I... Am afraid?"

"Exactly. You're always afraid. Afraid to be beaten, afraid to be humble, afraid to be labeled... Weak"

"Hmph... Prove it"

"There is nothing to prove Grimmjow. Only to accept"

"What? Are you saying that I have to admit defeat and say I was afraid to gain power? Bullshit!"

"It's your choice, Grimmjow. Try to give it a little thought"

"*sigh* I mean... I want to be strong. Stronger than everyone. I hate weakness because... It means you are unable to do something. If there is something I'm afraid of, it is that"

As he admitted that, a blue light started shining a bit from his stripes.

"What is...?"

"Accept all your fears, Grimmjow. For it is fear that feeds destruction. People destroy what they fear. _That_ is the truth behind your power" The voice revealed.

"So it is true after all..." He muttered a bit disappointed. "Fuck it... Yeah, I'm afraid of being called weak. I'm afraid of not becoming king of Hueco Mundo. I'm afraid of not achieving the same strength Ichigo or Ulquiorra have obtained. And I'm afraid... Of losing my fellow Hollows, especially... Her, so... So what?! I might be afraid, but that doesn't change the fact that I want to do something more, I wanna be strong and I'm gonna destroy any barrier that wants to stop me, even fear itself!" He declared as determined as he could be.

Suddenly, the darkness started disappearing, shattering in pieces as his own aura devoured the space that contained him.

"This... This power... This strength...! IT'S MINE!" He growled.

Back in the Dangai, his eyes suddenly opened and with them a large explosion of electric blue energy filled the place.

"No way...!" Harribel muttered in disbelief as she witnessed the event.

After the energy faded, she saw Grimmjow in a form completely different from before.

His legs and arms were black and had shining blue stripes. His claws were longer and sharper, both on his hands and feet. His torso was uncovered, but it looked more muscular. His tail had become a bit longer and was striped black and blue as well.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed as he tasted his new power. "I did it! This is my true power!" He shouted to the World and then put his both hands together to fire...

"_Cero __Eléctrico__!"_

A giant blue _Cero_ embedded with electricity was shot into the distance at light-speed nonetheless. A couple seconds after he fired the beam, a thunder was heard.

"I can't wait to try that in battle!" He said to himself, eager to fight whoever got in front of him. Whoever but...

"G-Grimmjow? Is that you?" Harribel asked him in an insecure way, which was very strange of her.

His pointy ears reacted to the sound of her voice immediately. "Huh?" He wasn't expecting anyone, so it was a real surprise. "W-What are you doing here?"

"I woke up in the middle of the night and... It made me curious not finding you there, so I looked for you. Is that...? _Segunda Etapa_?"

"Yeah, I think so. I've never felt this strong ever before"

"How did you do it?"

"I... I've been coming here every night to train since Ichigo revealed that Ulquiorra had obtained this power. I don't know how, but somehow, I was able to enter my subconscious at some point. There, I found a creature that called itself my Inner Beast. His name, was Pantera, just like my _Resurrección_. I fought the creature many times and I lost all those times..." He said disappointed. "But it seems... That I never had to win. Instead, I had to find myself, or somethin'! I don't know... It's hard to explain, and I can't remember everything, but I think it has something to do with our aspect of death"

She looked at him with amazement as he revealed this information.

"Wow... I never thought you were so hard-working, Grimmjow" She admitted.

"It's not like that... I just, wanted to get stronger, and here I am" He replied with a strange modesty.

"Would you mind... Teaching me?" She couldn't make eye contact as she asked this.

"S-Sure" He replied, startled by her request. "I can't say that I'm not surprised to see you asking _me_ for help though"

"Well, who else am I gonna ask? It's not like there's anyone other than you who achieved _Segunda Etapa_"

"Of course... It's for that..." He sounded a bit disappointed.

"But I think..."

"Hm?"

"...Even if someone else knew, it wouldn't be the same if it wasn't you. After all... We've been through a lot of things together since the invasion. You're even the first person I ever asked to call me by my name so..."

"Tier..." He blushed as she confessed that to him.

Indeed, during the last 2 years of training, they grew quite close to each other. What started as mere basic interaction, developed slowly but strongly into a reciprocate friendship. Although none of the two realised this, they had established an unbreakable bond.

"I want you to help me, Grimmjow" She concluded.

"No problem. We can start after the usual training with that woman" He said referring to Yoruichi.

"Thank you" She blushed a bit, though her mask made it difficult to see.

"Don't mention it. Like you said..." He transformed back into his normal form. "We're long-time aquaintances now" He walked towards her. "Let's go. We might still have a couple hours to rest before training"

"Y-Yeah" She followed him. "What's wrong with me? Since when am I so insecure... So shy... So... Girlish?" She thought to herself. "This is their fault. Seeing them in my dreams has made me more like them" She concluded thinking about her Fracción.

~~~~X~~~~

The next day, after a normal routine of training.

"Hey, Yoruichi-san" Nelliel asked her.

"What is it?"

"I'm really happy with everything you've taught me. I've learned a lot and I've never felt as powerful as I am right now"

"But?" She knew there was something more.

"The thing is... I know I'm nowhere near as powerful as Ichigo is. I'm beginning to think, that I might be a nuissance to him in the battlefield. So I... I want to learn something more to help him"

"Really? And what would that be?" She knew where it was going but wanted to hear it come from her mouth.

"I'd like to learn Kaidou. Hachi-san mentioned it, but he said that he wasn't really proficient in it. But that's why I'm asking you, Yoruichi-san. I know you've healed Ichigo before, and you're amazing in everything that you do, really, so I decided... That if anything were to happen to Ichi, I want to be able to heal him!" She said determined.

"I see... Excellent. I'll make sure you can heal your beloved Ichi as many times as he needs then. He tends to get damaged easily, you know?" She teased.

"Eh...?" She muttered confused. "Did I call him _that_ in front of her?" She thought as Yoruichi walked away.

"Let's start off now. Come here!" She indicated with her hand.

They went to see the Vizards, who had finished training harshly in another area of the Dangai.

They were all full of bruises and scratches.

"What happened to them?" Nel asked worried.

"That's what happens when you fight a Vizard gone berzerk" Yoruichi explained as she went to heal Lisa and Hiyori.

"We're still far from controlling it completely" Lisa told her friend.

"Yeah... But we gotta keep trying. We can't... Give up... Just now..." She replied between breaths.

"A rough day, huh?" Yoruichi asked.

"Totally. Training with Ichigo was a piece of cake compared to this..." Hiyori replied.

"I can imagine it is. Lay down, I'll do my best. Nel!" She called her.

"Yes?"

"Come here. I'll teach you all I can with the time we have"

"Understood"

Ichigo was finishing training with Hachigen as well.

"How was it today?" He asked his master in Kidou.

"Very good, Ichigo. You did in fact have natural talent for this. I wish I could teach you more than just the incantation of the highest level spells, but you should do well with that once in Hueco Mundo"

"Yeah... I hope so. Thanks for all your help, Hachi"

"You're welcome, Ichigo. You're free to continue training with me if you want. We still have a couple months"

"Really? But I don't know if I want to fill my head with more incantations than the ones I alredy learned..."

"If not, we can continue dueling with what you know. In any case, to not endanger ourselves, the best we can do is not using the incantations, since these make the spells more powerful"

"That's true. We can keep doing that then! See you tomorrow" Ichigo replied as he went to grab something to eat.

That night, Ichigo and Nel were sleeping together like they had done the past year, when they heard a thunder.

"Huh? What the hell?" He muttered confused.

"I think I heard one of those last night as well" Nelliel remembered. "I thought it was my imagination so I let it slide"

"Maybe we should check it out"

"Yes, I'm curious about it. Let's go, Ichi" She replied and kissed him.

"Yeah..." He smiled and blushed. "Let's go"

Just like the night before, despite the darkness of the Dangai, there was a distant light. Two to be exact. A blue shine and a yellow one.

"Could it be?" Ichigo wondered.

"I think yes. It is them" Nel confirmed. She had trained long enough with the two to perfectly recognize their Reiatsu, for little as it was expressing itself due to the great distance.

"And this pressure... Oh, Grimmjow you bastard" He grinned as he realised he had unlocked _Segunda Etapa_.

"He must be helping Harribel to achieve it" Nel deduced.

"It's a pity that thing doesn't allow you to go further than _Resurrección_ for a couple minutes" Ichigo told her, referring to her armband.

"Don't worry. I'll train to the maximum when the time is right" She smiled determined.

"Ha, like you haven't trained to the max now. I've seen you fight, Nel. Even in your base form, you are brutally strong"

"You really think that?"

"Not only that, but, even if you don't like fighting... You are on another level of beauty when you do so" He complimented.

"You're lying!" She chuckled in disbelief.

"Not at all. You have a unique style. So technical, but at the same time... So free. Watching you fight is like seeing an antelope in the wild" He said as he looked drectly into her eyes.

"Oh, how I love you..." She replied and kissed him passionately. "If you really think that... I'll fight as many times as you wish, Ichigo" She whispered in his ear.

With all the fooling around, they had forgotten about the reason they got up, but a bright yellow shine reminded them.

"Oh, let's go!" Ichigo remembered.

"Right!" She agreed.

Ichigo was tremendously fast with his new powers. In fact, during his training, he lowered his Reiatsu a lot to not harm anyone. He remembered how even Aizen was unable to feel his Reiatsu at some point, due to the abysmal difference in power.

Nel, on her part, had started developing a technique to go faster than _Sonido_. This was still a work in progress however, so she decided to leave it for another time.

As fast as they could, they arrived at the origin of the light. Grimmjow was now in his normal state, which was expected since there was no blue shine. On the other hand, Harribel was unconscious in her _Resurrección_, but was emanating a bright yellow Reiatsu that showed she was alright.

"She did it..." The 6th Espada said triumphantly. "I knew that showing her the transformation would help her. She has a lot of focus as well, so it's no wonder that she had no further trouble descending into that state" He thought as he looked at her body.

Harribel was now in her inner World. Just like Grimmjow's, it was the desert of Hueco Mundo, but covered by an infinite ocean.

"So this is what my inner world is like..." She said to herself.

"Finally. I thought we'd never meet" A male voice was heard. "Why don't you come down here?"

Harribel submerged herself into the water and swam towards the voice.

A giant black shark with yellow stripes running down his fins, tail and face.

"Are you... Tiburón?"

"You catch on quickly. But I guess that's thanks to the help of your new friend..." He pointed out.

"It's somehow ironic that my Inner Beast is a male if you ask me" She rolled her eyes.

The shark chuckled and showed his thousands of teeth. "Sorry to disappoint you, but yes, this is me"

"Whatever... Let's go straight to the point. What do I have to do?"

"Look below you"

She did as the beast told her and looked. Three chains were running from what seemed to be the bottom of the sea, each one tied to one of her Fracción. They looked dead, but were unconscious. Nevertheless it was a displeasing sight.

"Let me guess. I have to choose wether I sacrifice them or myself?"

"Easy, isn't it?" Tiburón asked back.

"After everything we've gone through, I know that they have always been ready to die for me. No need to remember that this is all just an illusion... Even if it was real, they wouldn't be happy unless they made their sacrifice"

"Is that so? Well, I must say that I am really proud to have you as my master so far, but I'm afraid that I forgot one person deeper in this ocean of apathy"

After he said that, a shadow rose from the depths of the water. She immediately recognized his blue hair and manly, yet handsome face. It was none other than Grimmjow, tied to the last chain.

"Why him?!" She thought with a mixture of anger and worry. "What is the meaning of this?" She asked to the creature.

"I don't know, you tell me" Tiburón replied. "What do you say? Will you sacrifice him as well? Are you willing to sacrifice all those who are dear to you? Even the one you...?"

"Shut up!" She lost her patience and attacked the shark with _La Gota_. "I'm tired of having you play with my emotions. This might be a challenge... But you've gone too far!"

She clashed against her inner beast furiously in an intent to obtain the power by force. She knew deep inside her that she wasn't willing to sacrifice any of the people she saw there. In fact, _she_ was the one willing to die for them. How could she ever make such a choice in the real world?

"How ironic indeed, that a man was all it took to break that will of steel... Goodbye, my master" Tiburón ooened his mouth and devoured her.

"No...! I... I lost!" She said in defeat.

The absolute darkness swallowed her whole, and then... It spoke:

"Why do you think you lost the battle?"

"Huh? I guess... It was my lack of self-control"

"You're lying"

"What?" She was sure that was the answer.

"You always seek to become some kind of perfect being. For your Fracción, a perfect savior. For Aizen, a perfect warrior. For Hueco Mundo, a perfect Queen. For Grimmjow... A perfect woman, maybe"

"So what are you trying to get at here? What is the point of asking me this?"

"That you get to know yourself. This power you're trying to obtain, resides in all Arrancar. However, only those that truly know themselves are able to unlock it. That is, because knowing yourself is the only way to understand the root behind your aspect of death"

"The root... Of sacrifice?"

"Indeed. Why did you fight, for example?"

"To survive, to protect... To pay back a debt"

"Can you see that in your mind there is always something greater than yourself as a reason to fight?"

"Yes. Although I think I never really thought about it myself"

"What do you think is the root of sacrifice then? Or even... Why would you make a sacrifice?"

"To protect. We make sacrifices to protect something dear to us. We even sacrifice other things, other people, just so we can save something else we believe has more value..." Her body started shining with a yellow bright.

"And what do _you_ want to protect?"

"My... friends" An image of everyone at the Dangai appeared.

"My... family" Her three Fracción were happily greeting her in her mind.

"G... Grimmjow" She confessed as a barrage of images of him flashed before her eyes. Ten thousand feet below the sea, as she sank into the abyss, the thought of him began.

That was the final word. With that, an enormous heat surrounded her. It was a scorching flame, possibly as blazing as the fire that burned her Fracción to a crisp back in Karakura. The burning desire to protect was what drove her sacrifice.

She opened her eyes again, and a yellow explosion of flames gave birth to her _Resurrección__:_ _Segunda Etapa_.

"Look, Ichigo!" Nel told him.

"Damn..." He replied, amused.

Grimmjow laughed as he witnessed the scene. "Heh... Well done, Tier"

After the flames ceased, her new form was revealed.

Her appearance was still quite revealing, having a pair of thin black fins covering the center of her breasts and a short black skirt made by a circle of shark-teeth was covering her rear. Her shoulders were covered by pointy black fins and, on her back, a black tail with yellow stripes that resembled a whale shark had grown. Her golden hair looked wilder and longer as it fell on the sides of the tail. Going down, her feet were covered by black boots with pointy shark teeth on the sides. Finally, her giant sword had become black with two yellow stripes and had a curve on top, with a cannon-like shape.

"_Segunda Etapa..._" She muttered to herself, and then pointed her new blade at the empty side of the Dangai. "_Cero Volcánico_!" She blasted a yellow _Cero_ that exploded with the same strength of an underwater volcano and burned everything on its path.

As she witnessed her new power, her serious expression changed to a content grin.

"Having a good time?" Grimmjow asked her with a chuckle.

"I think so. Thank you, Grimmjow. I don't know how much time I'd have taken without your help" She said with her typical polite tone.

"I was just doing my job. The Queen of Hueco Mundo has to be powerful enough to beat some Demons, am I right?" He asked back.

However, Harribel didn't think that was enough, so she jumped to his side and turned back into her normal self.

Grimmjow was confused by her sudden action, but wasn't able to react before she embraced him.

"No, seriously, thanks" She whispered tenderly. Her mask didn't allow him to see it, but she was smiling as she held the other Espada in her arms.

Grimmjow could only blush as he muttered her name.

"T-Tier..."

On the other side of the field, Nel and Ichigo were in shock as well.

"No way... Harribel is..." Ichigo muttered.

"Hugging Grimmjow" Nel completed. "Do you think they?!"

"I think we should go" He replied.

"Yeah... I think the same" A side of her wanted to stay and see the end of the scene with her own eyes, but the voice of reason said it was wrong.

The two quietly disappeared into the shadows of the Dangai and left the pair of Espada alone.

"Grimmjow" She said after breaking the embrace.

"Yeah?" He still felt a bit awkward.

"Will you help me train this new power to get back our home?"

He stared deeply into her green eyes before replying.

"As long as you give me the right to challenge you for the throne..." He grinned. "Take it for granted"

She felt something inside her beating. She didn't know what it was, but it was really strong. Along with that, an urge to hug him again and taste his lips appeared as well.

"For real. What is wrong with me?" She thought as she deviated her mind from that crazy idea and looked another way. "Let's go. Tomorrow will be a long day"

"Surely. We'll make those Demons regret they ever entered Hueco Mundo" Grimmjow agreed.

~~~~X~~~~

**And one last chapter before my exams begin. Tomorrow I have Algebra and due to my inspiration... Let's just say I didn't study much.**

**Anyways, this was a more history oriented chapter with a lot of symbolism and epiphanies of what's to come. Also, this is the very beginning of Harrijow as one of the canon ships in this fic, though due to their personality, I doubt we'll see much for a while, but we'll get there eventually.**

**I also imagine you liked the _Segunda Etapa_ I made for them. If not... Well, shit, but I hope that's not the case, haha.**

**Also, in case there remain any doubts about it... No, Ichigo and Nel haven't had sex. That part is being saved for faaaar later in the fic, because I have thought of giving a special value to such an event.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Wow! Good chapter! I enjoyed it! Keep up the grand work! This little chapter was really emotional. It truly was an adorable one in my opinion._**

**_But yea. So wow! Looks like Nel has learned Shunko, and Halibel has awoken to tell them a bit of what she witnessed between her and Ulquiorra. Fascinating! I also find it a little ironic that Halibel calls Neliel, Nel-sama. What would her Fraccioné think of that if they saw their Halibel-sama saying something similar to what they say to her predecessor? Lol. That'd make for a good laugh._**

**_I'm also glad that Ichigo and Nel have confirmed their feelings for one another. So sweet! And since you said you're not doing Lemons (which I'm okay with), I was wondering... what is the difference between Limes and Lemons anyway? At least to you? Just wondering._****_See ya next update!_**

**Reply: Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I was also thinking of a funny scene involving Nel, Harribel and her Fracción, though it will be a while before that.**

**Now, to the more... Acid part of this review. For me, Lemons are plain sex scenes with lots of descriptions about what the characters do physically, but that tend to forget the emotional factor.** **Limes, on the other hand, are more feeling-oriented scenes with more kisses, cuddles and stuff (also fooling around, etc). That's what I understand by limes anyway, but I hope you get the idea. I do understand that not all Lemons fall into PWP (Porn without plot) but most do in this very... Special community. I'll go deeper into this topic in the next reply of our green lettuce friend here.**

**TheHiddenLettuce: _"I don't write lemons"_**

**_personally I think its sometimes better to let the reader use their imagination when it comes to lemons._****_looking forward to the next chapter of this._**

**Reply: As I mentioned before, it's not like I won't describe sex scenes, it's just that I prefer not being so graphic in those, but that's just something of my own personal taste. However, like I said before, my big problem with Lemons is not the sex, it is the way writers distort the characters to fit wild sex scenes that just... Wouldn't occur if the author took the actual personality of the characters into consideration. That said, I do describe a more detailed way of sex, but I use more vague language, use a lot of metaphors, etc.**

**Love is beautiful. Tainting lovely couples with PWP on the other hand, is simply sick and stupid.**

**I'll do my best to write regardless of exams, but I don't know how that'll go. See you all next chapter! Evhron.**

**Glossary:**

**_Cero __Eléctrico__: _Electric Cero. I remembered that there is a "_Lanza del Relámpago_", so I changed it.**

_**Cero Volcánico****:**_ **Volcanic Cero. Different from Edrad's Volcánica.**


	7. Prelude To A Perilous Fate

Hell.

The place where all the souls of Hollows and evil humans went, sooner or later, to be punished for thousands of years before earning another chance in the world of the living.

Composed of nine circles, each one deeper, smaller and worse than the last, it was swarming with creatures suffering in different ways. Some physical, some psychological, but regardless of that, the stench of agony could be smelled from afar.

The two aquaintances were guided, by the mysterious servant of King Yama, to a weird kind of elevator in the center of it all.

Orihime was scared as she went through the depths of Jigoku. Despite of this, she didn't say a word to Ulquiorra in order to not make Kurokage suspicious.

"A wonderful sight, isn't it?" The servant asked the two with his inexpressive voice. "Souls suffering in cold to the left, souls suffering in heat to the right. In the end, they all suffer..."

They didn't reply anything.

"What punishment did you have to deal with, Ulquiorra?" He asked, trying to start a conversation.

"I don't remember being punished. In fact, I don't remember much of my stay here. It's like, somehow I have an empty space of memory between my death and my rebirth"

"Really? I wonder why that is... But in any case, don't you feel anything different when facing such a scenery? For example, I can feel how the human's shadow is soaking in fear"

"What?!" Orihime thought. "My... Shadow...?"

"Nothing. Hell is everywhere. It doesn't change much wether you're up somewhere or down here" The nihilist Espada replied.

"Interesting answer. However, there is a difference. Maybe you're right about most of the worlds up there... But there is one above them all which I don't think even you could call Hell"

"Is that so?"

"Yes. But I think Yama-sama would prefer telling you that. What right do I have to steal one of his topics for conversation?"

"Interesting..." Ulquiorra replied with the same plain voice that gave away zero emotion.

The elevator stopped at level 9, the deepest circle.

"We have arrived" He announced.

"Were the Dukes ordered to come as well?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Yes, but I sent my shadows to fetch them"

"I see"

Outside of the elevator was a long hallway of frozen statues.

"No way...!" Orihime muttered.

"Oh that" Kurokage noticed. "They are the worst kind of scum. The ones who pay for the capital sin that is betrayal. Although their bodies are frozen, they feel as if their flesh and bones constantly burned, but since their movement is restricted, they scorch in agony unable to do anything" He explained.

The revelation made Orihime tremble in fear and sorrow as she imagined the torture those souls were experiencing.

"That is exactly the reaction I was expecting. You don't look like a traitor to me though, so you shouldn't be worried..."

She was about to sigh in relief, when he completed the phrase.

"...Unless you're thinking of betraying Yama-sama. And that goes to you as well, Ulquiorra"

"I know" He calmly replied.

In spite of the calm in his voice, Orihime was at her limit. The dense aura of the place and the constantly growing spiritual pressure of the being they were about to meet made her experience a sense of bleak and despair she never imagined she would feel in her life.

After passing through the hallway, a giant door of bones was waiting for them. Kurokage created a pair of solid shadows that looked exactly like him and commanded them to open the gate.

Inoue was astonished by his ability. She had never seen a power like that, and the sole idea of her friends engaging in combat with people like him made her heart heavier.

Behind the gate, was a large throne room. Floor made of twisted black and white marble. Pillars of black marble ornamented with gold. Paintings of abhorrent creatures hanging in the white marble walls. And in the end of the room...

A giant throne made entirely of skulls. Some humanoid, some beast-like and some impossible to decipher where they came from, were carefully put together to create an intimidating yet comfortable throne for the King of Jigoku.

"Here they are, Yama-sama" Kurokage said while doing an exaggerate reverence.

"Good. Now we can begin. Stay, Kurokage. I want everyone to witness this" Echoed a voice from the other side of the room.

"Yes. Thank you, my lord"

Due to the distance, Orihime couldn't tell what the monarch looked like. All she could see, was that he was wearing a black and white robe.

Standing by through the long hallway, just like Shinigami Captains, were eight figures Orihime recognized as the Dukes.

The first one, with a black "VIII" tattooed on his left leg, was a really tall individual (about 2 meters) of grayish blue skin and had a long devilish face with three goat horns coming out of it. It seemed strange to her that he was wearing what seemed to be a ragged lab coat.

The next, with a tattoo showing "VII" on his left hand, was a white skinned Demon with humanoid body, wearing a black suit that reminded her of a funeral. His face however, was a black aura-like mass. Orihime felt as if the faceless being was staring right into her soul, despite not having eyes.

Moving on, the next Demon was a giant muscular being that possibly measured 3.5 meters. He had grey skin and his right arm showed a "VI" painted on his overly developed bicep. A black tunic with an iron belt covered the lower side of his body, but the rest was uncovered. His menacing demonic face had four black horns coming out of it like a crown.

The next one was probably the most strange of them all. It was a blank slate. Although it resembled a human in shape, it had no identifiable characteristics aside from that. It was a completely white being with a black "V" instead of a face, carved in what seemed to be its head. The feeling this creature gave Orihime was really weird as well. She felt as if that being was only a fraction of something much greater, but she didn't know why.

Entering what she thought were the "Big 4" of the group, was a Demon with a big "IV" tattoo on his right cheek and amazingly, looked a lot like a human, with long black hair, pale white skin, green eyes and humanoid body, though a single goat horn coming out of his head gave away his true race. He was wearing a beautiful grey Yukata and was holding a closed parasol in his hands.

The next one really caught her attention. One that for some reason had a head like a horse, a small unicorn horn and long white hair. His body was human-like and looked shockingly fragile, with thin complexity and lowly developed muscles. It came as a surprise that on the left of his uncovered chest was a "III" printed on his light-brown skin. The only thing he covered with his ragged black tunic was the lower part of his body.

In front of him, was another one with long white hair and the head of a unicorn, though his horn was a lot longer and his skin was blue. Also, his complexity was completely different as well, having developed muscles and a bigger body. On the right side of his chest, a big "II" was carved onto his skin with black ink. Again, only his lower part was covered by a ragged white tunic. She wondered if the two were related, possibly brothers.

The last of the Dukes, looked completely human. He had long red hair, blue eyes and fair skin. He even looked attractive, having muscular yet normal proportions. Also, he was the most elegant of the group, dressed as if he was the director of an orchestra. His tattoo wasn't in sight, though it was clear that somewhere in his body, a big "I" had to be proudly tattooed in his angelic flesh.

After passing the eight Dukes, came the three Princes.

The one on the left was the only female of the group. She had a curvy figure (which she proudly showed with a very revealing yet elegant dark-blue dress), pale blue-ish skin, orange hair and a beautiful face with yellow eyes, but instead of legs, she had a serpent's tale with beautiful scales of different tones of blue. She had a black rope necklace with a gem colored deep blue as the sea itself and on her left breast was the kanji for water (水) engraved.

On the center was a bulky Demon of probably the same size as the 6th Duke (if not a bit bigger) of red skin and excessively developed muscles. He was only covering his lower part of the body with a ragged brown tunic and his fists had dirty white bandages, which made him look like a martial artist of great prowess. His rough face was the most demon-like, having two large black horns coming out of his head, and his strong orange eyes were intimidating to say the least. Finally, he wore two necklaces like the one the female Demon was wearing, but instead of a blue gem he had a bright yellow colored gem, similar to amber, and a blood red gem hanging from the black rope, while his chest had both the kanji for fire (火) and earth (土) tattooed.

The last one of the Princes was a green skinned Demon of humanoid size, but troll-like face, having two pointy fangs coming out of his lower jaw, an excessively pointy nose and two little black horns that grew from his bald head. He seemed muscular, though not grotesquely so as the red Oni, and covered only his lower part with a light-gray tunic. The most amazing detail about him, was that he had two angel-like wings of light-green feathers. The last details were that his rope carried a green emerald-like gem, and had the kanji for wind (風) painted on the center of his chest. Orihime imagined that he was probably a Tengu.

Finally, sitting on the throne of Jigoku, was the King. Different from what she imagined, he looked a lot like a human. He had a normal body and size, fair skin and an attractive face with clean features. His eyes were not normal though. His left eye was of black sclera and white iris, while his right eye had white sclera and entirely black iris. On his forehead was the kanji for Aether (空). The robe allowed his upper chest and neck to be seen. Right under his neck, he had a black **888 **tattooed, as well as two gems, one pitch black and the other clean white hanging from two rope necklaces. His beautiful black and white robe resembled the clothes of a God more than a Demon. His long hair was almost entirely white, except for a black piece that sticked out from the rest and he was holding a gold scepter with various ornaments.

"Ulquiorra" He spoke with a manly yet soft voice that reminded her of Aizen. "You have brought the human like I ordered. Certainly, you prove to be worthy of the position I gave you"

"Thank you"

"Continuing... Today is a day of celebration. The stepping stone of a plan I've been designing for eons. I... I was the first to be sent down here. It wasn't a place of torture like it is today, but neither was a place of joy. It was all black. Empty. Devoid of anything we know in existence... Until the first soul fell down here. In order to cease my loneliness, I gave that soul the power of immortality, as well as great power directly from my dark orb. He was the first Oni. My dear servant, Kurokage"

"Yama-sama...!" The servant seemed moved for the first time by his mention.

"And after him... More souls fell. Aching for the banishment they had suffered. Step by step, more Oni were born... And together, we built this place. After realising the growth of our home, one of the Gods that banished me descended upon this place to offer me a chance for _redemption_. He wanted to punish mortal souls with a more... Refined system. And so he wished for me and my dear Oni to be in charge of such a job. However, despite my contempt, in that moment, I accepted... Because I knew that angrily declining that order disguised as an offer would only lead to our destruction. But that didn't mean, that I gave up on the chance to regain paradise!"

All the Oni seemed to raise their Reiatsu as these words were pronounced.

I was banished from _Takamagahara _itself! I used to live in that paradise where only the highest beings could rest! I used to be a God! But now... No more lamenting. No more accepting the conditions of hipocrisy! No... Today we end this chapter of misery, to embrace an age of glory! And everything... Thanks to the power of this human. This... Woman, as they say on Earth. She has the key to begin our rebellion, the power to obligate time itself to step back and return what was once lost! My _Kamibuki_, with the ability to absorb every kind of energy, even that of the Gods! My divine Katana...! Was once sealed by Amaterasu herself, so that I would never be able to defy them! But now.. that's all history... But before continuing, woman, please tell us your name" He looked at Orihime with his godly eyes.

"Inoue... Inoue Orihime"

"Inoue Orihime. A beautiful name for our savior. I won't order you. I'll kindly ask you, to please... Reverse time on my scepter, until it becomes a sword"

"So that was it" Ulquiorra thought. "As convincing as his speech may be, she must understand that he was banished for a reason. It doesn't matter how beautiful are the words he has used, that doesn't change the fact that he is planning to take over Heaven from the Gods that protect _her_ World"

"I... I can't do that..." She replied.

"Huh? And why would that be?" The King asked.

"Because... If I do that, you will hurt my friends, my World and all the things that I love!"

"What makes you think that? I haven't said anything about invading your World"

"Then why did you invade Hueco Mundo!?"

"Cause it is a desolate place full of evil Hollows. They even took you prisoner there, you think I don't know?"

"Believe it or not I... I have friends there!" She was referring to Nel and Ulquiorra.

"Oh really? A human and a Hollow being friends? How funny indeed. The offspring of Amaterasu with the breed of Tsukoyomi forming a bond of friendship... How utter nonsense... You were born to be opposites, that's written in the book of the Gods that created you, you can't change that" He mocked her.

"I don't care about that. Hollows might be different, but they are able to feel emotions and as such... They are able to understand us as well. I don't care about what's written, I care about my friends and the love we share!"

"Love..." Ulquiorra thought.

"How insolent...!" Kurokage muttered.

"But now, now... If you think about it, the fact that she is defying the Gods is a good sign. She is willing to fight them as much as we do, so... Don't you think it is clear what choice you have to make?"

"Even if you put it like that it is obvious. You will invade the Human World sooner or later. Maybe Soul Society! I won't help you..."

"*sigh* I guess you like doing things the hard way..." He said and in an instant he fired a black ball that exploded in Ulquiorra's body, damaging his organs.

"No! Cifer-kun!" She couldn't pretend anymore and decided to use her power to heal him. "_Souten Kisshun_, I reject you!"

"Inoue... No..." The Espada muttered.

Just as she finished healing him, the King gave an order.

"Kurokage"

"Yes, my lord. _Possession_!" His shadow extended itself to Orihime's and he started controlling her movements and power.

"What?! No!" She muttered as her hands were involuntarily directed towards the gold scepter.

"I know everything about your power, human. Even its limitations. But don't worry, after such a long time, there is no trace of Amaterasu's Reiatsu aside of the seal itself" Yama explained. "Now, reject the power that has concealed us in this Hell for an eternity!"

After a while, the gold scepter shattered in pieces, to let a Katana of two edges, one black and one white, fall to the ground.

"Perfect! It has returned to its original form... My dear Kamibuki: _Lucifer__"_

"No..." She said in tears as she realised that her power had been used regardless.

"Who would've thought that you had a human friend indeed... Ulquiorra"

The Espada remained in silence.

"Shouldn't you say something to Yama-sama? You damn traitor!" Kurokage seemed truly angry for the first time, despite wearing a mask.

"I did my job. I killed and banished all Hollows from Hueco Mundo. There was not a single order about not becoming friends with the human" Ulquiorra replied calmly, despite having been seriously wounded moments before.

"You little...!"

"Leave him, Kurokage. I'm in a good mood" Yama said with a chuckle. "He's right. If he wants to be friends with the human, it's his problem. I even find it fascinating, though I believed you were the most heartless of the Hollows. In any case, you did your job, you brought the human and my Kamibuki is back so... You're free to go back to Hueco Mundo with the woman"

"Thank you, Yama-sama" He started leaving.

"However..." The King continued.

Ulquiorra looked back.

"If by any chance the Shinigami friends of this woman want to take back Hueco Mundo... You and the Dukes must kill them. That is an order. If you don't comply, I'll make sure to torture her before your very eyes before erasing her existence"

"I understand"

"Kurokage, open a Kimon for them to go back"

"Right away, Yama-sama"

"And, Ao... Find, _the source_ as soon as possible" He ordered.

The 8th Duke nodded. "Of course, Yama-sama, I'm on it"

They all entered the Kimon and went back to the throne room in Hueco Mundo.

"You know what to do. And don't even think of asking me anything" Ulquiorra threatened the Dukes.

None of them said a word, and obediently went back to their palaces.

As soon as they left the palace, Orihime apologized:

"I'm so sorry, Cifer-kun! I... I didn't want that to happen"

"Don't be ridiculous. There was nothing you could do. I guess he knew you were somehow close to me in some other way"

"Still, what will we do now?"

"Wait. Your friends should come soon"

"You're not going to kill them, are you?"

He was silent.

"Cifer-kun...?"

"If by doing that I can somehow protect you... There's no other choice" He replied with a sad but determined look.

"No... No, it can't be like this. There must be a better way!"

"I won't risk losing you, Inoue... I have learned so much thanks to you... I've felt so much thanks to you... I... I don't want to see you suffer" He confesed.

"Cifer-kun..." She muttered with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry... Inoue" He embraced her, just like she had taught him. She cried on his shoulder and he caressed her silky orange hair. "So this is what empathy is like..." He thought as he felt the same sadness of Orihime go through him.

~~~~X~~~~

After almost 1,000 days of training, the time to leave the Dangai had finally arrived.

"Phew... It was a long time here, wasn't it?" Ichigo asked Nel as they started disarming the tent.

"Yes. I don't think I'm gonna miss the place itself, though I will miss the nights we shared in it..." She replied, blushing.

"Nel..." He was surprised to hear such a line come from her, though it wasn't something so weird once he thought about it. They were adult enough to decide if they wanted to be together after all. "Don't worry, once everything is over, we'll see what we can do. Something is clear though. Anything we choose, we'll do it together" He said with a smile.

"Ichi..." She said his name out of pure love and contained the need to kiss him as hard as she could since they were out in the open. "I love you" She whispered.

"I love you too, Nel" He chuckled, though the idea of living with her was something he hadn't processed completely. He was still young, and hadn't finished school yet. How would he keep a woman, or even worse, a family once they decided to take that step? Could he live that way with Nel despite her being an Arrancar? With a scatterbrain due to all those questions, he sighed in relief that he hadn't gone further with her than just some snugs and kisses.

Harribel and Grimmjow had a similar feeling, though none of them really wanted to say it.

"Well, we _did_ get pretty strong her after all, didn't we?" Grimmjow started the conversation.

"Yeah, I guess... Now comes the moment where we have to reconquer our World"

"Of course. Don't worry, Tier. We'll just go back, kick their asses and everything will go back to normal"

"You really think it's gonna be that easy?"

"Heh, no... I guess not. But, whatever it takes, we'll end up achieving it" He admitted.

"I'm glad to know that we are both determined at least"

"That's where we can't fail" He concluded with a smirk.

Once everyone was ready, Yoruichi gathered them all to open the Senkaimon.

"Very well... It's time to go back. I'm happy to see how much stronger you've all become, but never lower your guard. The Oni are an enemy we've never faced before and as such, we don't know how powerful or intelligent they may be. In any case, feel confident on your abilities, you _are_ strong. Just, never look down on the enemy and always think of creative strategies to fight back"

Everyone agreed with a big "Understood".

Yoruichi opened the Senkaimon and everyone went back to Urahara's Shop, more precisely, the Training Ground.

"Woo, here they are! It's been a looooong time, hasn't it? I've been like, 12 hours waiting for you guys to return!" Urahara recieved them.

"Your sense of humor never changes, does it, Kisuke?" Yoruichi said in reply.

"Of course not, but you should know that well after all these years..." He smiled at the woman with a hint of nostalgia.

"Yeah, yeah... Anyways, I'm glad to see you again" She admitted.

"Is that... No way! Kurosaki-san looks just like when he went to fight Aizen for the last time. Longer hair looks good on you" He complimented his pupil.

"Thanks, I guess..."

"He's not lying though" Nelliel agreed.

"And Nel-chan! Wait... Is that one of Yoruichi's...?! Ungh!" He recognized the attire and bled a bit from his nose.

"Oh, this? Yeah, I didn't have clothes for training, so Yoruichi-san lent me this attire. It shows a bit more of skin than I'd like to, but it was perfect for learning _Shunkou_"

"Really?" The shop owner replied as he put two rolled napkins up his nose to stop the bleeding. "You decided to teach her in the end, Yoruichi?"

"Yeah. I sparred with her the first day and saw that she had potential. Her _Shunkou_ is really strong. In fact, it burns almost as much as the flames of the Captain Commander"

"A fire _Shunkou_?! And how didn't her clothes get burned?"

"Actually... The first time-" Yoruichi started telling, but Nel covered her mouth.

"Nothing. It doesn't happen! It just doesn't!" She replied red out of embarrassment as she remembered the moment.

"No way... Ungh!" Ichigo muttered as he imagined the event and bled the same amount as Urahara a couple moments ago.

"Not again! Ichigo!" Nel said worried, to which Urahara and Yoruichi laughed.

"What are those laughing about? We should be getting ready to go to Hueco Mundo tomorrow" Uryuu pointed out.

"Just leave them be, we were in that place for very long, it's normal that they have a few laughs" Renji replied.

"I guess..."

"Shouldn't you go see your father?" Chad asked Ishida.

"No, I think I'll pass on that. I'll write a note and leave it on his desk"

"BOSS!" Pesche came running to Urahara.

"Pesche, Dondochakka! Good to see you again. I actually have a couple things upstairs I need you to..." Kisuke was about to make a request.

"Sorry, boss. But before that, what about _our _little request?"

"Huh? Oh... _That_. I'll bring it right away. Wait right here" Urahara went upstairs.

"Everyone looks happy to return" Love observed.

"Yeah, no wonder after such a long time in there. After that, I'd even go pay a visit to Shinji at the Gotei..." Hiyori replied.

"Are you sure that's not an excuse to see him?" Lisa asked, not sure about her true intentions.

"Oh, don't give me that crap! It's just, been a while, you know?" She blushed a bit and crossed her arms.

Hachigen kindly laughed. "We could all go visit the others when this is all over"

After a while, Urahara was back with a bag.

"Here it is, guys! I'm not sure if I nailed it due to your poor drawings, but this should make the cut" He said as he gave them the box.

"Hey! We did our best. Well, it doesn't really matter as long as Nel-sama likes it" Pesche replied.

"Let's give it to her right away!" Dondochakka proposed.

She was talking to Ichigo and Yoruichi when her Fracción approached her.

"Nel-sama!" Dondochakla called her attention.

"What is it, guys?" She asked curious.

"Here!" Pesche gave her the bag.

"What's this?" She said as she opened it. "Oh, they're just like the ones I used to have when I was an Espada! Perfect for combat..." She exclaimed surprised as she held the white clothes in her hands.

"Really? Let me see?" Yoruichi snatched them away from her. "Hm... They look good, but you won't be able to use _Shunkou_ like that"

"Oh, you're right..." She said a bit disappointed.

"Wait, Nel. Ishida is good at making and fixing clothes. I'm sure he can alter them a bit so you can use them" Ichigo recalled.

"He's able to do that? It'd be great if he could!"

"Let's ask him. Hey, Ishida!"

"What is it, Kurosaki?" He answered to the call.

"You see, Nel has these combat clothes, but the design is not perfect cause she can't use _Shunkou_. Would you be able to change them a little?" He passed him the white clothing.

"Let's see. Wow, it is a really special material..." He said as he touched it.

"Yes. It's very elastic and it resists fire as well, which is perfect given the nature of my _Shunkou_" Nel agreed.

"I think I can do something. However, I need to take your measures and I'll also need you, Yoruichi-san, cause you know exactly what parts of clothing this technique destroys"

"No problem. We have to do our best so this girl can fight" She agreed. "Do you have everything you need?"

"As long as Urahara-san has a sewing kit laying around somewhere, yes"

"I'll go get you one! It's my clothing, after all..." Nel tried to help.

"No, I'll go. You don't know the place so well... You'll probably get lost. Don't worry, Nel, it's no problem" Ichigo replied.

"Really? Thank you, Ichigo" She smiled with joy.

After getting the sewing kit, Ishida did his work with the aid of Yoruichi. The result was great.

"It's ready. Try it on to see if it works" Uryuu said.

"Okay" She went behind a rock and changed into the modified combat suit. "How do I look?" She asked as she returned.

"Looks good to me. Good job, Ishida" Yoruichi complimented.

"It's nothing..." He grinned and proudly touched his glasses.

"What do you think, Ichigo?"

The clothes were now armless and her back was uncovered in the shape of an oval, showing the mark of Tercera Espada in all its glory.

"Like always. You look beautiful, Nel" He replied, gawking at her figure.

"Ichi..." She couldn't help but blush and hug him at the compliment.

"Wait, is Kurosaki?" Ishida had just noticed.

"You just realised? And here I thought you were the smartest of the group, Ishida! How disappointing..." Yoruichi shook her head.

"Oh please... How was I supposed to know?"

"They were sleeping in the same tent for almost three years!"

"And so were Chad and I!"

"Oh, Ishida... Don't tell me-" She smirked.

"It's nothing like that and you know it!" He angrily replied, though his face was red out of embarrassment. "I hope there isn't a doujin or fanfic of that..." He thought with grief.

"Ahahahahaha! I just love teasing you guys!"

"So I can see. Anyway, I think I'll go rest at home. Tomorrow starts another voyage and my job here is done. Give my congratulations to the couple..." He muttered as he looked at Ichigo and Nel a couple meters away.

"See you tomorrow, Ishida" Yoruichi said goodbye.

Nel and Ichigo noticed he was leaving so they waved a goodbye as well.

"See you later, Ishida!"

"Thank you for your help Ishida-kun. I loved it!" Nel showed her gratitude by spinning in one foot, proudly displaying her new suit.

"Glad that you liked it, see you guys tomorrow!" He replied, exiting the training ground.

"I think we should all go and rest. I want to see my family after so long as well, even if it was just a couple hours for them" Ichigo said.

"Of course. You must miss them a lot. I didn't really think about it cause Pesche and Dondochakka were always with us, but I imagine how you must feel... I'm sorry I didn't realise it sooner" She agreed with a hint of sadness as she thought about his feelings.

"Don't worry, I knew it was gonna be like this. Besides, they must be fine at home. Actually, now that I think about it, I think I should go see Inoue"

"Inoue-san... Right! I remember she was feeling blue when she left that time... What might have happened to her?"

"I don't know, but I'd rather go alone. Maybe it's something I did, though I can't recall doing anything that would make her upset..."

"I understand. In any case, give her my best wishes"

"Of course"

Urahara overheard the conversation and decided to tell the truth.

"I'm afraid to tell you that such a thing will be impossible..."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ichigo asked confused.

"Inoue-san disappeared hours ago. I traced her Reiryoku, trying to find her and it all disappeared in a crossroad, like she had just vanished"

"Inoue did what...?!" Rukia couldn't believe it.

"You gotta be kidding, Urahara. This has to be a joke of terrible taste!" Ichigo said with an upset voice.

"I'm sorry to say, I'm serious. Inoue-san was taken away"

"Fuck!" Ichigo lost his cool.

"Ichi..." Nel muttered worried.

"How could this happen?! WHY did this happen?!" He asked retorically.

"Do you know where she was taken, Urahara-san?" Chad asked calmly, though he was burning with rage just like Ichigo inside.

"There are two possibilities. One, is that she was taken to Hueco Mundo. The other..." He seemed to have trouble finishing the sentence. "...Is that she was taken to Jigoku"

Everyone was shocked to simply imagine such a dreadful possibility being a reality.

"But... Why did it have to be her?!" Ichigo still couldn't process it.

"Because she was the key for the Oni to start moving" A cold voice replied from behind.

"No way..." Grimmjow recognized it as well.

A _Garganta_ opened to let Ulquiorra enter the training ground.

"You... You're the one... You're the one that took Inoue away, aren't you?! ULQUIORRA!" Ichigo flash-stepped towards him to break him into pieces.

The Espada could see his movements, but had a lot of troubke dodging Ichigo's fierce attack.

"He's at another level of strength" He thought.

"I will erase you" Ichigo said as he intensely drew his sword.

"Ichigo, no! You are endangering us all if you fight to your full potential now!" Rukia shouted at him.

"Tch! And we'll just let him live? After what he did to Hueco Mundo? After what he did to Inoue?! Where is she, dammit?!" He violently asked Ulquiorra.

"She's currently in Las Noches. You see, she already did her part, but the king of the Oni thinks that she's a perfect bait to pull you into Hueco Mundo and eliminate you all"

"Heh, so judging by the look of things, you came to finish us before we even go, didn't you?!" Grimmjow joined the quarrel.

"No, quite on the contrary. I came to warn you. If you enter Hueco Mundo, I'll be forced to kill you"

"So what? You think we'll just stand here while Inoue is in the hands of the enemy?! Give me a break!" Ichigo spat.

"I don't plan harming her in any way. In fact, I want to secure her life with my own hands. Her power is very important to me" Ulquiorra did not lie, though the power he referred to was different from the one Ichigo had in mind.

"Like I'd let you with such a reason!"

"*sigh* If you don't want to listen it's irrelevant to me. However, this is all due to ignorance, Kurosaki Ichigo. You don't understand the power of Yama-sama. He's not like Aizen, or even the Soul King. He's an Old God, one that was banished from Takamagahara. His power is far from your or my comprehension" Ulquiorra tried to explain.

"Then he's basically a God, that's what you're trying to say?" Ichigo summarized, simplifying the situation.

"In simple terms, yes. I don't think there's need to explain"

"No, there isn't. With that information I know exactly how strong I have to become to defeat him!" He pointed Zangetsu at Ulquiorra.

"Interesting... Your foolishness never stops to amaze me. Very well then, I invite you to Hueco Mundo to drown in your own pride" He challenged.

"I wouldn't wish for anything else. It's time we truly end that decisive battle!" Ichigo accepted.

"I'll be looking forward to turn that confident expression into a face eaten by despair and hopelessness..." The Espada concluded as he opened a Garganta to go back to his palace.

After he disappeared, everyone in the training ground was in shock.

"Are we really prepared for this?" Chad asked himself as he looked at his hands.

"Greater than the Soul King?" Rukia muttered astonished.

"Maybe we really can't do much..." Renji said defeated.

Ichigo, seeing how the morale of his friends was lowered was starting to feel scared as well, but something inside him told him that no matter what, he couldn't feel that way. They didn't have to question their possibilities, they simply had to do it!

"Hey! Snap out of it! Why those looks of fear? We trained for almost 3 god damn years to defeat him! And now what? You're just gonna tell me it's all lost?!" He reprimended them.

"Ichi..." Nel replied, surprised by his sudden initiative.

"We knew the Oni were on a completely different level from the start. We can't feel this way just because the enemy came to tell us ghost stories about a guy we've never met. Think about it, if he's so damn strong, why the hell is he still down there? Why didn't he just defeat the other Gods and take Takamagahara by himself? I understand your feelings, but this is not the moment to be afraid, guys! This is the time to step up and take action and mark my words: I'm going there with, OR without you... But I'd rather die than leave a friend behind"

That was his ultimatum. Everyone was shook by his words, but at the same time, they felt as their confidence suddenly returned. Once again, their hearts were filled with determination.

"Ichigo is right. We cannot step back now. Like hell I'd let these Demons have things go their way!" Hiyori agreed.

"Exactly. I'm not planning to throw all my efforts to the garbage just cause that traitor of Ulquiorra has a new boss with a bigger cock he can choke on!" Grimmjow added, clearly pissed by the event.

"Hey, Grimmjow!" Harribel reprimended him for his language.

"Sorry, Tier, but you can't deny it's true"

"In any case, I agree with that notion. We have sacrificed a lot to get here... It's time we take what we earned" She concluded.

Nel doubted for a moment, but then held his hand firmly.

"I will follow you everywhere you go, Ichigo. I don't even care about death, as long as I have you by my side" She declared in front of everyone, not caring about anything.

"Nel..." He was astonished by the weight of her words. It worried him that something could happen to her, but at the same time he felt relieved to have her by his side. "Just... Promise me that we'll come back together"

"Or else... We'll die together. _That, _I promise, Kurosaki Ichigo" She replied and with her arms wrapped around him, kissed him passionately.

Everyone present stood in awe as they witnessed the pure love an Arrancar felt for a human. The Shingami were by far the most surprised, since the sole idea that a Hollow could have feelings was nuts. That said, even the Espadas thought that the fact that a Hollow was able to love was meshuggah, given that they couldn't understand the concept and many didn't even know the name of that feeling. Despite it all, Nelliel proved otherwise, and that was enough to leave even Urahara speechless.

"Wow..." Was all the shop owner could say, and he was in fact the only one able to emit a sound at the moment in question.

"You gotta be kidding me..." Rukia thought.

"Hoooly shit!" Hiyori said out loud, not keeping her thoughts.

"This feeling... This is...!" Lisa seemed inspired by the scene.

After they broke the kiss they stared at each other for a while, with the impression that the world had stopped during those seconds that felt as if they were an eternity, one the two would gladly spend their lives in.

"Damn..." Grimmjow muttered in shock.

"Nel-sama, you're always a step ahead of me... Even in that" Harribel thought, wondering if she'd ever be able to say and do such thing to the man standing beside her.

Ichigo, noticing all the attention they had gotten, was berried alive, achieving that perfect tone of red.

Of course, Nel shared the same fate as soon as she noticed Ichigo's expression, but regardless of that, she knew deep inside her that there was nothing to regret.

"Well..." Ichigo continued, regaining his composure. "Is everyone ready to go?"

The group agreed with no objections.

"Count me in!" Renji replied, back to being motivated.

"I'll show you my new strength, Ichigo" Rukia said determined.

"I'll keep throwing fists for you" Chad said with a smile.

"We'll demonstrate the power of..." Pesche started.

"The dangerous desert duo!" Pesche finished, expecting his brother to say the same.

"The synchro-desert brothers!" He didn't, as expected.

Ichigo chuckled as he got the effect he desired with his little speech.

"Tomorrow at 11 AM I'll open a big _Garganta_, unless you guys can do better" Urahara said looking at the two Espadas, snce it was obvious that Nel would go along with Ichigo.

"Nah, it's more or less the same. I'll leave it to you, Shinigami" Grimmjow replied.

"Together, we are stronger. We will go together and we will win together, as a group" Harribel added.

"Very well then. Go get some rest and we'll see each other tomorrow!" Kisuke concluded.

Everyone went their own way after wishing their mates a good night.

Ichigo and Nel went to his house to rest before the big day.

"ICHIG-" Isshin was punched in the face and knocked out before he could even get close to his son.

Despite his actions, he was glad to see his dad after such a long time. "I'm home!"

"Ichi-nii! What happened to you?! You look taller, and your hair is longer and..." Yuzu felt something was by his side for a moment. Like something she couldn't see clearly, but it was a faint presence she couldn't explain.

"What do you mean, Yuzu? Ichigo is the same as always! He just didn't comb his hair..." Karin replied, trying to dismiss her sister's suspicions.

"Ah, is that so? Well it looks kinda... Cool" She replied, snapping out of her previous sensation. "Though it makes Ichi-nii look more like a delinquent"

"Really? Whatever... I know I'm not anyway. *yawn* I think I'm going to bed. Tomorrow me and my friends are going on a trip for some days, so I gotta rest. Good night to you all"

"Good night!" His sisters replied in unison as they picked up the inanimate body of their father from the floor to drag it to his bed.

Ichigo would have wanted to be more time with his family, but at the same time, he knew that it would be suspicious and that he'd end up worrying his sisters.

After getting everything ready, he and Nel got inside the bed, still nervous for what was to come.

"No matter what awaits us there, as long as we're together, I'm sure we can sort anything out" Nel said, trying to calm Ichigo, who was having trouble sleeping.

"I feel the same. You don't know how much strength it gives me just to know you're there for me..." He hugged her as he carressed her turquoise hair.

"Oh but I do... After all, you're my only one, Ichi" She purred.

"And you're mine, Nel" He kissed her one last time before the two closed their eyes and fell asleep as they shared a warm embrace.

~~~~X~~~~

**Another very mixed chapter. I honestly don't know what to say after these ones, but I can assure you that they make me quite content with my own ability to connect it all at least.**

**Review:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Good chapter. I enjoyed this! I really liked the beginning of this chapter, where Ulquiorra and Orihime discussed what bonds were and what they have to do with the heart. But I digress._**

**_Looks like Grimmjow and Halibel have both achieved Segunda Etapa! Sweetness! And them being paired is confirmed! Cool! Looking forward to more interactions between the two. Although I wonder when Neliel will get her power-up? Then again, Orihime still needs to heal the crack in her skull._**

**_Finally, I wanted to apologize if my last review offended you in any way. I was just wondering your opinion of things and all. It's actually a nice change of pace on how you look at things. But yea. Update again soon when ya can! Looking forward to the next chapter!_**

**Reply: Digressing like always, or so I see, haha!**

**Like I said before, yeah, Nel needs to get her skull healed before being able to freely use her Resurrección. However, that doesn't mean she is unable to.**

**About your last review, don't sweat it, I wasn't bothered by it at all, I'm actually glad to share my point of view on these topics cause they are important matters in this community. Many readers and writers enjoy stories that are very poorly written if you take the actual essence of the original characters into account, which is why I do my best trying to give the reader the feeling of "Yeah, that's how he/she is!" in comparison to many other fics. Maybe I sound like an elitist when criticising other's work so harshly, but that's just how I see things.**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Evhron out.**

***Glosary:**

**\- Berried Alive:**

**1\. Being buried by berries while still alive.**

**2\. In case of Ichigo, aquiring the tone of a strawberry on his face.**

**3\. Amazing Djent/Experimental Technical Videogame Hip Hop Death Trap Metal artist.**

**PD: I changed counts to dukes, in case you noticed. It's a slight change but I did so because it matches better with one of the Satanist beliefs (cause there are many interpretations).**


	8. Enter The Realm

Ichigo woke up in the middle of the night due to a strange feeling. It was 3 AM.

"*yawn* Huh?" He felt that something passed by the hallway, although the door was closed.

Before checking what that was he looked to his right. Nel was fast asleep hugging his arm and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I don't wanna wake her up..." He thought as he beheld her beautiful face, touched by a couple rays of moonlight.

That gave him an idea, he grabbed a pillow and carefully changed his arm for it.

Nelliel hugged the pillow with a strong grip. "Ichi..." She muttered in her sleep with a smile.

"Damn I love you" He whispered with a grin and gave her a kiss in the forehead.

After that, he exited the room and followed his instinct, which lead him downstairs.

Sitting on the couch was Isshin, clearly expecting him.

"Dad?"

"So you unlocked the _Final Getsuga _once again..." He said with a sad smile.

Ichigo realised his father's grim expression. "Well, yeah. It was the best way to get stronger in a short period of time"

"*sigh* Yesterday morning, I expected you to recover your powers, but to be honest, I never thought you'd go through so much. I know very well that you went to the Dangai"

"Yes. Did Urahara tell you?"

"Yeah, though it was pretty obvious given your appearance. I also happened to help him look for Orihime-chan a while ago... I understand how you must feel"

"Tch..." Ichigo became angered just by remembering it.

"I won't tell you not to go, because I know that that would be denying who you are at your very core, and also because... I doubt there is anyone else with more chances to fight this new menace"

"To be honest... I'm afraid, dad. I'm afraid that I won't be strong enough. Afraid that I could lose my friends. And for the first time in my life, there is someone more important to me than anyone else..." He confessed.

"I imagine who that might be by now" He chuckled. "You've truly become a man, son" He proudly concluded.

"I-I mean... We're just, together I guess... It's not like, you know..." He had trouble finding the right words.

"You are taking things slowly" Isshin deduced he wished to say.

"Yeah..."

"But in the end, you know that she's the person you love the most. You would do anything for her. You don't care about barriers such as being Hollow or human, am I right?"

"Yeah, I guess not. But you understand that better than anyone else, don't you?"

"Of course. It was the same with your mother. Masaki and I didn't care about anything once we were in love..." He remembered the teenage look of his deceased wife.

"Would you mind telling me more about that? You know, how it was that everything happened, or what did you use to do as a Shinigami? I understand if you don't wish to tell me..."

"No. I owe you an explanation. Even if you didn't want it, I think it's necessary in this point"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, circumstances have changed, that's all. I'll explain that later, but first I have to start from the very beginning"

"Alright. Who are you?"

"As a Shinigami, my name is Shiba Isshin. Ex-Captain of the 10th Division"

"No way" He thought. "That explains your strength I guess..."

"Yeah. Despite that, I once had it pretty bad against a particularly powerful Hollow, here in Karakura. I was badly wounded and honestly, I thought that was the end of me... But then _she_ came along"

"You mean, mom?"

"Yeah. Masaki was a young teenage girl when we met. She was the one to defeat the Hollow"

"What?! But how?"

"I was astonished as well... But you see, your mother wasn't a normal human. She was in fact, a Quincy"

"Like... Ishida?"

"Correct. She was the last of the Kurosaki family, so the Ishida family took her in, wanting to maintain the pure Quincy bloodline. She and Ryuuken used to live together for that reason, as well as to train her Quincy powers"

"So they were...?"

"They were meant to be engaged. But you know, things never go like you want them to be. In the end, everything just flows in an unknown direction, which in this case, led me to meet your mother"

"But then... Why was she powerless that day when...? *sigh*" He remembered the day of her death.

"That was because of what happened a while later. I don't know why, but your mother became Hollowfied shortly after we came across, though we didn't know what was truly happening until we went looking for help. Ryuuken didn't know what to do and I wanted to save her as well, but none of us had a solution. Like always, the only one who could help was-"

"Urahara" Ichigo predicted.

"Heh. He told us that he had been studying this phenomena and had a way to fix it if she was a Shinigami. However, that was not the case, so he had to try another method. For that, I had to sacrifice my powers and create some kind of link to your mother's soul. However, we managed to get the Hollow out. He was one persistent bastard, but I erased him with a _Getsuga Tenshou_ and saved Masaki. She lost her powers afterwards for other reasons, but that's not important right now."

"What happened afterwards?"

"Lots of things. We kept seeing each other, though once I had lost all my powers I stayed on this world with the excuse that I had been banished from Soul Society and turned into a human as a punishment, but I think she always knew that was just a lie. I opened a small clinic in the meantime and the rest is history... I guess my powers simply recovered after all these years"

"I see... But. What was that thing that changed though? What made you want to explain all this to me?"

"Well... It turns out that we have a Quincy in the family"

"Huh? What do you mean? Karin developed Quincy powers?!" That was his first guess, since she could already see spirits.

"I'm afraid not. In addition to her black hair, she also inherited my Shinigami powers"

"But that means...!"

"Exactly. I'm not enturely sure, but I think Yuzu is starting to feel the presence and even slightly see Souls and Hollows"

"But... How do you know she's a Quincy?"

"She has no Reishi of her own"

Ichigo just stood speechless, astonished as he processed what his father was saying.

"I know it is surprising"

"But... It was only the day before yesterday that she couldn't see Nel! How can this...?"

"Like I told you, she's starting to slightly detect beings with Reiryoku. Though as part of the Kurosaki family, it wouldn't surprise me if she developed her powers quicker than normal Quincies"

"No... She was the only one with a normal life. Why does she have to suffer the same fate of mine? When I was a kid, I hated seeing spirits. It wasn't something pleasant, but I had to live with it. I was happy that my sisters didn't have to cope with that... But then Karin developed her powers and now Yuzu is gonna be the same" He said with a worried and sad tone.

"I know... But as her family, we have to try our best to help her lead the life she wants. I can't say that I'm happy thinking of her becoming a Quincy... But what if she wants that life? I wouldn't be able to deny her such thing"

"Tsk... I know" Ichigo exhaled a great amount of air, trying to cope with all the new information. "Thank you for being honest with me, dad"

"Like I said, it was the correct thing to do"

"Is there anything else you want or need to tell me?"

Isshin thought for a moment if there was something else bothering his mind. There was in fact a certain topic he wanted to discuss with him, but he preferred to leave it for another time, as his son had enough already.

"No. You can go to bed. She must be waiting for you" He concluded with a proud smile.

"R-Right... I-I'll go then" He blushed. "I guess... It doesn't bother you that she's a Hollow"

"The only thing I care about her is if she loves you. The fact that she's a total babe comes second!" He gave a thumbs up to his son.

"Shut up..." He said with a disgusted look. "Good night, dad"

"To you Ichigo. I'm quite tired myself *yawn* but there are things a father must do" He finished determined.

"Whatever you say"

Ichigo came back to his room and was glad to find that the Arrancar was still asleep. He went back to bed in his previous position and cuddled by her side. Sleep came a couple minutes later though, due to his mind racing with all the new findings, but the brain was beaten by exhaustion in the end.

The next morning, sun beams were falling in his face.

"Ungh... Guess it's morning already" He looked at his side. Nel was still sleeping. He was glad that Urahara had bought her a pair of pajamas to sleep instead of her ragged clothes. Now he wouldn't bleed when looking at her, though he still thought that he had the luck to have the most beautiful woman sleeping with him.

After admiring her figure, he took a shower and changed into a casual attire.

When he came back to his room, Nelliel was already awake and changed into her new Espada uniform.

"Good morning, Ichi" She greeted him with her cute melodic voice and quickly gave him a peck on the mouth.

"Good morning, Nel. How did you sleep?"

"Great of course. Sleeping here brought me back memories from the first time... It's so weird thinking that it was so long for us, but it was only half a day here"

"Yeah, it's crazy. Now we'll leave for a while again, though I don't think it will be nearly as long as training. I should probably pack a couple things though..." Ichigo said as he got a big backpack out from his closet.

"Nghh! Nrghh!" Something made awful sounds from it. The backpack seemed to be struggling.

"What the-?!" Ichigo opened it. "Kon?! What are you doing here?" He asked the Mod Soul as he got a piece of tape out of his mouth.

"Ahhh... It's been so long since I've taken a breath. Rukia-san is such a meanie sometimes, though ~I did like it at first~" He said with a perverted voice.

"Now that I think about it, it's been a while since I last saw you. How long have you been there?"

"How am I supposed to know? All I could see was pitch black!"

"What is that, Ichigo?" Nel asked curious as she examined the lion plush.

"Can't you tell? I'm the great Kon! A prodigy in the Shinigami arts and master Hollow hunter!" He replied making a cool pose with his eyes closed.

"He's a mod soul and a troublesome one at that. In short, he's a failed experiment" Ichigo explained.

"Hey! You are the failure, Ichigo! Also, whose voice is tha-" He looked at the Arrancar as she picked him up. "For the love of God... You are a queen! Nonono. An Angel! No, that's not even close... You are a Goddess!"

Nel giggled and blushed a little. "Oh, you say such beautiful things!" She gave him a smile that melted him.

"Hug! Hug! Hug!" Kon demanded as he drooled, looking at her huge chest.

"Enough" Ichigo grabbed the plush and tossed him aside. "You haven't been a minute out and you're already doing perverted things"

"But he didn't do anything" Nel pointed out.

"Believe me, he will"

"Such a party-crasher... No love for poor Kon" The fluff being kicked the air in disappointment.

"Oh shut up. I wouldn't care if it was someone else, but Nel is too innocent to see through your shady schemes"

"Nel... Such a simple yet beautiful name for such... Perfection! I love you Nel-chan!" Kon jumped at her face but was grabbed in mid air by the Shinigami.

"Also, to leave things clear... She's my girlfriend" He declared.

"What?! She? With you?! Tell me it's not true Nel-chan!"

"Um... I don't know what a girlfriend is to be honest..." She digressed.

"Haha! You pesky liar! Trying to get away with such blasphemy! Who's the shady one now, huh?!" Kon barked at him in victory.

"Grrr" Ichigo growled.

"Though I can tell you that I certainly love Ichigo" She added.

"Ah!" Kon was turned into stone. "L-Love? Are you sure, Nel-chan?!"

"Yeah. I love him more than anyone in the world!"

"Nel..." Ichigo snapped out of his rage.

"What makes you so surprised? You know it very well" She thought it was weird to get such a reaction after so long.

" I mean yeah, but... Hearing you say it is... Special" He replied blushing a bit.

"Oh, Ichi..." She felt so in love with him despite the simple explanation. She knew how tough he was normally, so hearing something like that was as cute as he could possibly get. In reward, she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a long kiss.

"No way...!" Kon couldn't believe it, but an instant later, something else caught his attention. "Huh? What's with that hat?" He asked about her skull.

"Oh, this? Hahahahahaha! No, it's not a hat... It's a part of my body!"

"What? Then that means... You're a Hollow?!" Kon became scared.

"An Arrancar to be exact. We are Hollows that broke our masks and aquired powers of Shinigami. Our appearance is also more human-like because of that" She playfully rested her head on Ichigo's shoulder as she explained.

"And why are you afraid? She hasn't done anything wrong has she?" Ichigo asked him a bit pissed.

"Not really, but it's quite shocking to hear at least. You can't really blame me"

"Yeah, maybe not. But I could go get some tape and put you back inside that backpack if you keep bothering us"

"NO! Please no! Just mind your business while I lay down inanimate like the cute little plush I am" He replied as he jumped on the bed to play the part.

"Good, stay like that for a while. Now, Nel, let's grab some breakfast and then we'll go see the rest"

"Okay. Bye Kon" She waved her hand at the plush.

"Bye... Nel-chan..." He muttered sadly. "Even if she's an Arrancar, she's a God-tier hottie... Why did you have to take her?! Curse you, Ichigo!" He spat once he was on his own.

His sisters were already having the first meal when Ichigo arrived.

Karin was very shocked by the sight of Nel, but didn't want to show it because of Yuzu. She had noticed that her sister was becoming aware of spirits, but she hadn't really seen anything yet, so she preferred not to react.

"Good morning, Ichi-nii!" Yuzu greeted.

"Ah, good morning" He replied.

"How cute. Your sisters are very pretty, Ichigo" Nel complimented now that she could observe them more carefully.

"Nn" He replied at a low volume.

"Um... I'm sorry Ichigo, but there isn't much to eat" Karin said in order to lure him and Nel out.

"Is that so? Too bad, guess we-"

She gave her a dread look.

"_I'll_ have to go somewhere else. No problem, I'm not that hungry anyway" Ichigo replied, following her lead to not complicate the situation.

"But Karin, it was only yesterday that we bought food! How come there isn't anything left?"

"Well I... I had soccer practice yesterday, and I was starving after I got back so I ate about a whole meal" She told a convincing lie.

"Oh... Then I guess there's not much we can do" Yuzu said sadly.

"Don't worry, I can take care of that on my own. Where's dad?"

"He's still sleeping. I don't know why he was so tired..." Karin replied, not knowing about his night talk with Ichigo.

"R-Really? Well, it can't be helped. I'm going then, don't expect me until lunch"

"Okay"

Ichigo exited the house to immediately jump into his bedroom and grab Kon in a flash.

"W-Wha?! What's going on?!" Kon asked as Ichigo passed him to Nel.

"Shut up... I'll lend you my body while I'm in Hueco Mundo. Don't do anything weird to her or I'll turn you to shreds"

"Y-Yes" He said with a voice of fear. "What do you have to do there, though?"

"There is a new group of bad guys and they conquered the place. I won't go much into detail cause it's a long story, but they even took Inoue away"

"What?! Orihime-chan? _My_ Orihime-chan?!"

Ichigo hit him in the head.

"Don't say she's of your possession!"

"B-But how? Why?"

"It seems that they wanted her powers..."

"Those bastards!"

"Anyway, that's why we're going to Urahara. I wanted to have breakfast at home, but Yuzu is starting to see spirits and I couldn't risk that she saw Nel so suddenly"

"Ah... That was why you acted that way. Is your other sister able to see Hollows and Shinigami?" She asked.

"Yeah. Karin, the one with black hair, has been able to do that for a while now. However, Yuzu was supposed to be a normal human, but it seems... It seems she's developing the powers of a Quincy"

"Quincy? But isn't your father a Shinigami?" She was confused.

"Well, I had a little talk with dad during the night. In short, he explained that my mom was a Quincy"

"I would've never imagined..." Kon said astonished.

"Yeah. I'm still having a bit of trouble processing it all, but that's the way the news goes"

"Ichigo... I won't ask you to tell me all about it cause I know it must be difficult. But, remember that I'm always here for you" She held his hand, understanding the grief it caused him.

"Thank you, Nel" He smiled. "Once I have assimilated everything, I'll go into detail. Right now we have to focus on the battles ahead"

"Of course"

They arrived a while after at the candy shop, where Kisuke was conveniently having breakfast with Rukia, Renji and the other four Arrancar, although Grimmjow and Harribel were just sitting by the table without eating anything.

"Is there any problem if we eat here?" Ichigo asked.

"No, of course not! Come take a seat, I'll serve you two a cup of tea" Urahara happily replied.

"You couldn't eat at home, Ichigo?" Rukia asked him with a confused look.

"No. There is a little situation at home, so I decided to come here"

"Oh. Well, I hope it's not too serious"

"It wouldn't be considered _bad_, but it is a complex matter"

"Whatever it is, forget about it now" Renji carelessly said.

"Renji!" Rukia scolded him.

"What? We're about to fight very powerful enemies. He can't risk to be defeated because he wasn't concentrated in the battle"

"But still..." She had a worried look.

"No, Renji is right. I'll think about it once we've returned" He smiled with gratitude at Rukia for her show of concern. Despite Renji's words, he was sure that he was worried as well, but wouldn't show it in such a moment.

Urahara came back with tea and a pair of pastries.

"Wow, how fancy!" Rukia was looking at the delicious tarts.

"These are Mont-Blanc and Strawberry shortcake. I wouldn't be able to pick a favourite so I always buy both"

"It looks delicious! Can I try it, Ichigo?" Nel asked with her puppy face.

"Of course. Eat as much as you like as long as you leave enough for the rest"

"Yeah!" She took a piece from each. "Delicious!"

As Nel enjoyed her time with the others, Grimmjow looked at the scene with intrigue. He wondered if Hollows could have happiness outside of their world of fights and death.

"Hey, Tier. Do you think Hueco Mundo could ever offer a lifestyle like that of the humans or the Shinigami?"

"Huh? That's really strange coming from you"

"Heh, you're right. But it's just, she seems so happy doing things that, honestly, no Hollow would be able to do normally"

"You're right about that. Nel-sama has discovered a whole new world thanks to Kurosaki Ichigo. I don't judge her at all for that. In fact, I think she's the living proof that there's more to us than we believe"

"Who knows? Even if that was possible, it would take ages to turn Hueco Mundo into a place like the Soul Society or this world. I have to admit that I like this peace, but in the end, I know that I was born to fight"

"That's correct. Most Hollows fight their whole lives just because that's the only way they know how to live. Even in the position I gained after Aizen's defeat, I doubt I would be able to make such a groundbreaking change. It's like, altering the very root of what Hollows are"

"Exactly. Although, who can say what we are in essence? No one really knows of our origins. Maybe that old geezer of Barragan knew something, but now he's dead"

"All we can do now is fight to get our home back. I would love to investigate our origins, but I wouldn't know where to start"

"Heh, that's like questioning what the very origin of our souls is. It's so great an enigma that it's ridiculous only thinking about it"

"I know. It must be something far greater than we can imagine..."

"But even so, we can try our best to make a difference. We are the Espada, aren't we? If someone can do something, it is us. At the very least, we have the strength to do it" Grimmjow punched his fist against his hand.

"I wonder if that would be the right way..." Harribel said, doubting that a change of that kind could be carried by force.

While they discussed that topic, Uryuu and Chad arrived as well.

"Good morning. Is everyone here already?" The Quincy asked.

"Hiyori-san and the others have yet to arrive, but aside from them, no one else is missing" Kisuke replied.

"Very well"

"Hey, want somethin' to eat?" Renji offered him a bowl of rice.

"No, I already ate, thanks"

"I... I'd gladly accept it" Chad said shyly.

"Have some then"

Everyone was spending a great time during that meal, in spite of the journey that was about to take place. This was better though, because they felt more confident and strengthened the trust with each other. That was also one of the points of the training in the Dangai, because they needed to get along with each other, which was a really hard task taking in count conflictive people like Hiyori or Grimmjow. In the end though, it was possible to say that everyone had a good relationship towards each other.

After breakfast, the Vizards conveniently arrived.

"Good morning" Hachigen politely saluted.

"How's everyone doing?" Love greeted.

"Nice to see you" Lisa did the same.

"Ready to try out your new strength?" Hiyori said, more eager than anyone else.

"Of course. I guess it's time to do this" Ichigo said as he grabbed the badge and let his soul out of his body. "Take good care of it, Kon" He told the stuffed animal, who had been hiding from Rukia intentionally since they arrived.

"Eh?! Y-Yeah, of course..."

"And no pursuing high-schoolers and stuff like that" Ichigo warned more specifically.

"I'll do my best, hehe" He scratched the back of his head.

Ichigo put his hand inside the mouth of the plush and took the green sphere out.

"See, Nel? This is what a Mod Soul looks like"

"Oh... I see" She was surprised that the candy shaped object was the true identity of Kon.

The Shinigami put the sphere inside the mouth of his body.

"Yay! I have a real body once again!" Kon rejoiced inside the flesh carcass.

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't do silly things and try your best so that Yuzu doesn't suspect anything"

"Understood" He raised a thumbs up in sign of agreement. "See ya! I still love you, Rukia!!!" He left the shop running.

"Tch... That pervert" Rukia muttered.

"Anyway, I'm ready to go. You guys are as well?" Ichigo asked.

Everyone nodded.

"Very well. Let's go downstairs then. I asked Yoruichi to prepare everything for the _Garganta_, that's why you didn't see her" Urahara invited then to the Training Ground.

Once in the rocky landscape, everyone followed his orders to enter the _Garganta._"Is everything ready?" The shop owner asked the woman.

"Yep. I did everything just like you asked, Kisuke"

"Perfect. Thank you"

"You guys are gonna stay here in case something happens?" Ichigo asked.

"Of course. Don't worry, Tessai and the kids should arrive in the afternoon so we'll have backup. In the worst of cases, we can always ask your dad for help, and if that's not enough... Well, guess there won't be more choice than to ask the Gotei for a hand"

"But I don't think such a thing will be needed" Yoruichi pointed out.

"Neither do I, but it's better to be ready, just in case..." Urahara agreed. "Now, stand in line, right there" He pointed at a section of the ground.

Everyone moved towards the place and made a horizontal line.

"Perfect. Now, don't forget that once inside you must create a trail of Reishi, or you'll fall into eternal nothingness. I'm gonna ask our Arrancar fellows to help as much as they can in that matter" Urahara requested.

"Tch... No choice then" Grimmjow spat.

"No problem, if anybody needs help, I'll make sure to lend them a hand" Harribel remarked.

"We'll do our best" Nelliel spoke for her and her brothers.

"Then, off you go!" Urahara opened the _Garganta_. "Do your best and don't get killed!"

"I wish you all good luck, but more importantly, success. You know what you learned, now put it to practice" Yoruichi bid them farewell with those last words.

The black fissure swallowed the members of the team and left them inside the pitch black space.

"Let's go!" Ichigo said as he created a wide path of Reishi, much more stable and linear than he did previously.

All the other Arrancar ran by his side to make a greater trail for the others.

"Showoffs..." Hiyori pouted, thinking that she could do as well as them.

Ishida created his own Reishi platform to fly through the _Garganta_.

Chad, the Vizards and the pair of Shinigami followed the trail created by the leading group.

After a while, the other end of the dark void opened, letting them into what seemed as a large desert. They had arrived in Hueco Mundo.

They carefully descended into the sands and had a quick look at their surroundings.

"This place looks as desolate as ever" Renji said.

"But something is not right. It's not something you can see, but something you can _fee__l"_ Rukia replied.

"That's right. Aside from the weaker Menos and Gillians living underground, I believe all Hollows escaped into the world of the living" Harribel explained. "Except the ones who..."

"...Died" Grimmjow completed bitterly. He knew how hard that idea resonated inside Tier's mind. She was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders since she became the ruler of Hueco Mundo. It had only been a couple weeks, but she already felt that the lives of all those Hollows were in her hands. "Gladly, none of your Fracción faced that fate. They must be hiding somewhere, waiting for the right moment to come back, by your side"

"I know... But I wish no one had perished that day"

"I guess the most casualties were Adjuchas" Uryuu guessed.

"Yes. But there were some weaker Arrancar who encountered their sudden end that day as well" Her green eyes had a saddened look.

"However. We can't center around the past" Ichigo said in reply. "We gotta focus on what's our main objective, and that's bringing this place back to what it was"

"Harribel, I know how hard it must be for you" Nelliel put her hand on her shoulder, and looked at her determined as ever. "But now's the time to be strong. Right here, right now, you must make the vow that you're gonna fight and win, for everyone that made a sacrifice that day"

"You're right, Nel-sama. You as well, Kurosaki... I'm sorry that I let this get to me" She apologized.

"Don't worry about it. It's understandable that remembering such things causes you a lot of grief" Hachigen comforted her.

"I'll give it my all. For everyone" She finally said with resolve.

"That's the Espada I know" Grimmjow told her in a volume only she would hear.

She felt a lot better hearing those words. Now she was ready to raise her blade and fight with only victory in mind.

"Now that we're here, how are we gonna do this?" Lisa asked.

"Ulquiorra said Inoue was in Las Noches. I guess the Dukes must be occupying the Espada's palaces" Ichigo deduced.

"Sounds like a possible theory, but there were 10 Espada and only 8 Dukes" Uryuu recalled.

"Well, I doubt they managed to reconstruct the palace of that mad scientist in such a short time" Renji remembered.

"And the palace where I fought the 9th Espada was also destroyed by my brother"

"Then we can guess the remaining palaces are 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and 0. That damn Ulquiorra must be in the throne room, that's for sure, but I doubt the dukes will let us come any closer without defeating them" Grimmjow said.

"We noticed that Barragan destroyed his palace before leaving" Harribel added. "So there's one building less"

"Anyways, we can assume that the Dukes are ordered in terms of power as well" Uryuu started explaining. "That means that the 8th Duke must be in the palace of the weakest Espada with a remaining structure. In this case, the 7th"

"But we can't be sure about that" Chad pointed out. "What if they are ordered upside down, or have no order at all. Maybe they do have one but decided to use any palace"

"While that may be true, Ulquiorra is a very meticulous individual. He didn't like disorder at all" Harribel remembered.

"So you are proposing that he would leave them on a specific order just to suit his taste?" Hiyori asked retorically. "That's pretty dumb, but it makes sense"

"In any case, how are we gonna fight?" Renji asked.

"I think the best would be dividing in pairs. Pick the person that you feel knows your fighting style the most, but try to be close in terms of power as well" Ichigo decided.

"What do you say, Rukia?" Renji asked her.

"I'm fine, as long as you are careful with my attacks. If you are not concentrated, I could freeze you by mistake" She replied.

"Heh, I'll make sure that doesn't happen then" He gave her a grin.

"Then I and Chad will fight another one of them" Uryuu said in reply to Renji's decision.

"Yeah, no problem" Chad agreed.

"I think we'd rather fight together. You see, we still have a bit of trouble controlling our new power, so I think it's better if we four go" Love decided.

"We'll make sure to finish quickly to fight the remaining Dukes" Hachi added, as two enemies would be left out of the plan due to that decision.

"No problem with that" Ichigo replied.

"I guess we'll tag for this one. After all, we managed to unlock _Segunda Etapa _and trained its potential together" Grimmjow said. "What do you think, Tier?"

"I agree. We could hurt someone else if we let all our power out. If it's only us, it won't be a problem" Harribel replied, feeling glad that she would fight alongside Grimmjow.

"You have a point. With that in mind, make sure that if you use all your power, take the enemy as far as you can from Las Noches" Ichigo reminded them.

"Understood" The two said in unison.

"That leaves... Nel and you two. I think you three would be perfect" He said looking at the Desert Trio.

"But Ichigo... That would mean you are gonna fight alone!" Nelliel said worried.

"I know. That's the point"

"But-"

"Look, Nel... You are incredibly strong, but I'm gonna go straight to the Throne. I'm sure that whoever's gonna fight me will be the toughest of the bunch if I do that, which should be this guy with the _Abaddon_ weapon. I don't want anything to happen to you... Besides, Pesche and Dondochakka need your help. I'm fine on my own, you don't need to worry"

"Excuse me, Ichigo-sama. But you see, we are no longer the pushovers you met long ago. We don't need Nel-sama to look after us anymore" Pesche replied.

"And more importantly, Nel-sama won't be able to fight to her maximum if she's worried about you. You can't ask her not to worry when you know how much she loves you, Ichigo-sama!" Dondochakka added, trying to convince Ichigo.

"G-guys... There's no need to..." Nel blushed after her Fracción defended her and even used her feelings as an argument. She had talked with her brothers about her relationship with Ichigo, and although none of them really understood what this _love_ was, all they wished was for Nel's happiness.

"Allow us, Nel-sama. _No more lamentations. _You must do what you wish to do. There's no need for you to betray your feelings too..." Pesche replied.

"Pesche...!" She was astonished by the certainty of his words.

Ichigo perfectly understood what her adoptive brother meant by the last line. He was impressed by the serious tone he aquired to tell her that, but knew that there wasn't a better way to deliver that message.

"Nel... Do you really want to fight by my side? Despite your limitations?" He asked her seriously.

"Y-Yeah... It's not my intention to be a burden, at all. I understand that, I'm nowhere near as powerful as you... But like Dondochakka said, I can't have my mind set on a fight while I'm unable to know how you're doing"

"I just... Don't wanna risk losing you. But if that's what your heart tells you to do, I won't betray your feelings. I would never betray you in any way" He smiled at her, showing how much he trusted and cared for her.

"Ichigo...!" She jumped at him and crossed her legs around his waist. As little tears escaped her eyes she kissed him. "How could I ever leave you on your own after saying such thing?" She giggled at the bitter-sweet resolve of her Ichigo. She knew how much pain it caused him taking her to such a dangerous fight, but for her sake as well, he was willing to withstand that pain.

"C'mon Nel, no need to cry..." He pat her head in the warm embrace. "It's not that bad. I know how powerful you got, so I'm sure you can defend yourself. I only wanted to avoid such peril, but I understand the way you feel" He comforted her. "After all, even if I was powerless, I would still do everything to protect you"

"I know... I know, I know, I know, I know..." She muttered as she dried her tears on his shoulder, taking a sniff of his scent in the process, which made her feel a strange relentless beating inside her. "How is this even possible when I don't have a heart?" She thought confused, but at the same time, in a world of ecstassy.

The two seemed too immersed in their own things to notice that the rest were still in the place waiting for Ichigo to decide.

"Hey wait a second, isn't that girl...?" Renji noticed and remembered:

_"__What is your relationship with Ichigo" __The little Arrancar demanded Rukia an explanation._

_"__Eh?!" __Rukia was speechless._

_"P__opular with the ladies?" __He asked Ichigo._

_"__Shut up!__"_ _The Substitute Shinigami replied embarrassed._

The memory ended and Rukia rolled her eyes at his expression.

"Are you telling me you just realised who she is?" She asked him disappointed.

"Is she... That small Arrancar girl?!"

"*sigh* Yeah..."

"And when did she grow up?! What the hell is going on with the growth spurts of the Arrancar?!"

"Were you not listening when Ichigo got his powers back? Or in the Dangai?"

"Not really"

"That was the form she had before. It seems her broken skull has something to do with her child transformation, but Urahara managed to keep her adult form with that armband"

"I see... Damn. Did you know she was _this_ close to Ichigo?"

"I think they got along well ever since they met, but I guess their friendship escalated quickly. What surprises me the most is that she's an Arrancar. What makes Hollows what they are is their lack of heart, but it seems that information was wrong"

"It is certainly an unprecedented discovery" Uryuu overheard them and agreed as he pressed his glasses a little bit.

"I haven't said anything, cause Ichigo looks happier than ever before" Chad joined the conversation as well.

"Hmph! Who wouldn't be like that with a tall beautiful gifted girl that's in love with you" Rukia pouted with envy.

"Are you jealous of her?" Renji asked her confused.

"Of course not! She's just everything a guy could wish for..."

"You are quite pretty yourself, Rukia" He pointed out.

"W-What?" She didn't expect that reply.

"I mean, you have a nice body and a beautiful face. Sure, you may not have a pair of... You know... But there are guys that drool over girls like you"

"And what do you prefer, Renji?" Hiyori appeared from behind and asked. "Sorry to meddle, but this topic concerns me greatly as well" She menacingly smirked.

"I'm curious about knowing the kind of men that are interested in lolis. This would be a convenient moment to respond positively given the fact that you are in the presence of two legal lolis" Lisa added from behind Hiyori.

"Oh, really?" He realised the mess he had gotten in with his last statement. "It's curious that you ask... But, well... Oh look, Ichigo is ready to move!"

He and Nel were blushing as they looked at the rest of the group, but the Shinigami was able to conclude.

"Well, sorry about that, but it's settled. Pesche and Dondochakka will fight one of the Dukes, while Nel and I will go straight for Ulquiorra. Any complaints?"

Everyone shook their head or remained silent.

"Okay then. Let's go for Las Noches as quick as possible, cause it looks like we have company..." Ichigo said as he pointed at a black cloud of Lesser-demons approaching them in the distance.

~~~~X~~~~

**And hence we have the last chapter before the battles everyone's been expecting. It's a difficult process to create dynamic action-packed chapters, so I may take a while longer writing these. Despite that, please have in mind that I'll be doing my best to write those in the best possible way. My priority is always quality.**

**I want to apologize for the delay, but after finishing my exams came the CFYOW summons, which was something I expected for a long time (since I wanted Nel of course). For that reason I was raiding orbs like insane and unfortunately, I got Hikone, Grimmjow and Toshiro (Tag), but no Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. I hope to get her in the next days if the possibility presents itself... But please pray for me.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _"Awesome work on this chapter! I enjoyed it immensely! Looks like training is over for everyone! Time to use what they've learned and put it all to the test! WHOO_****_!_**

**_Anyway, I wanted to apologize for my day-late review. Lol. I would've gotten to this sooner, but real life is a pain. Lol._**

**_Digressing, I look forward to what more you've got planned. Especially seeing as these Oni will NOT be pushovers in the slightest..."_**

**Reply: Very happy to hear you liked the chapter so much.**

**Don't worry, everyone has to face reality most of the time, though I must admit that I was worried at first, since you always review and I really appreciate it.**

**Finally, yeah, I designed the Oni to be stronger than anything we've seen so far. If everything goes well, you'll witness how Las Noches falls apart during these epic battles.**

**See you all next time! Evhron out.**

**PD: If you are an active player on BBS and want to add me to your friends list or join my guild, PM me for details.**


	9. Master Of Puppets

The swarm of winged Demons confronted and surrounded them a couple kilometers away from Las Noches.

Despite the uncountable amount of desidious creatures flying with their bat-like wings and slashing with their claws, no member of the group had trouble going through them.

Ichigo simply blasted an enormous _Getsuga Tenshou _to erase about half of the enemies.

The rest were erased by _Cero_, Quincy Arrows and other area attacks.

In the end, not one of the Lesser-demons survived. All perished by the hand of the alliance against the Oni.

"They weren't much of a deal" Ichigo said after the last Demon disintegrated.

"Those were the weakest kind, possibly mere pets of the Oni. There are others with more power, though they don't have wings. Those could be called their foot soldiers" Harribel explained.

"I thought something like that, since it was impossible all Oni were this weak. It was far too good to be true" He replied with a sad smile.

They ran ahead a couple more minutes until they reached the colossal palace.

"It looks like an impenetrable wall, but you can take care of it, right Chad?" Ishida asked.

"Give me some space" The human asked his team mates. "_Brazo __derecho del Gigante_... _El Directo__!"_

He punched the wall with brute force in one single devastating hit. As expected, even the white walls of Las Noches couldn't withstand the attack and crumbled to his feet. A giant hole was the only thing left of the stone barrier.

"Thank you, Chad. Poor of the Oni that receives one of those on his face" Ichigo told him with a chuckle.

"No... This is nothing. Nothing compared to the punch I'll deliver them for taking Orihime" He said with a fearsome expression.

"I bet. I feel the same way, though I wanna know exactly what they wanted of her. For that, I have to go immediately towards the Throne Room. Ready, Nel?"

"Yes. Let's go at once" She replied with decision, bracing herself for what was to come.

"Then this is where we'll go apart. Good luck, Ichigo. Nel-san... Please take care of him" Rukia asked.

"Yes!" She changed her serious expression to a happy one as she agreed. Nothing made her happier than knowing her team relied on her to go with Ichigo.

"The same goes to you all. If you have trouble facing your enemy, don't doubt to ask for help or even escape" Ichigo said in reply. "Also, if you still have strength after you defeat your opponent, don't doubt in joining someone else in their battle"

"Of course. We thought 'bout that since we are clearly at an advantage" Hiyori replied in a carefree manner.

"I know. Take care, guys. I'll do my best to end this quick. Let's go, Nel!"

"Very well. _Sonido_" She and Ichigo left for the battle.

The group that was left decided where they would go.

"Let's take into count what the Quincy said" Grimmjow recalled. "We'll go to the Palace of the 1st Espada, as the second strongest one should be there"

"Rukia, let's go to the 3rd Palace" Renji proposed.

"Are you sure, Renji?" She asked back a bit nervous. "Whoever is there, will be really strong considering the theory"

"Then there's more reason to fight that Oni" He proudly smirked.

"Okay... But be cautious"

"Of course"

The Vizards saw the options they had left.

"Hmm... We could go either to the 4th or the 5th Palace first" Hiyori said.

"Maybe the 5th will be a weaker enemy, more like a warmup" Love thought.

"It doesn't seem like a bad idea" Lisa agreed.

"It's decided then" Hachi concluded. "We'll go to the 5th Palace and then the 4th"

"We will try our luck with the 7th. We trained hard, but... We don't want to push our luck, hehe" Pesche said.

"Exactly. We'll surely defeat the weakest of them!" Dondochakka agreed.

"Very well then. We'll head towards the 6th Palace in that case. I want to have a clearer idea of how strong these Oni are before engaging the strongest ones as well" Ishida said.

"Perfect. Once again, be wary of your enemies and good luck. Also, there may be low-level Oni on the way. Don't doubt to eliminate them before they give you trouble" Harribel concluded.

"Let's do it!" Grimmjow eagerly shouted before sprinting towards the 1st Palace, with Tier following.

Everyone else nodded and decided to move as well. The Vizards had been handed a map of Las Noches by Urahara, who had created it based on the indications of Grimmjow and Harribel the night before.

Uryuu and Chad headed towards a city like part, full of tall yet very raw-looking buildings.

"Hmph. I don't really share the taste of Hollow architects" Ishida pointed out as he mocked the poor design.

"Hey Ishida, look at that" Chad pointed a large structure in the center of the place.

"That must be the Palace. I wonder how our first opponent will be..."

"There's only one way to find out" The fullbringer replied as they started walking towards the entrance.

Once inside, they encountered a room that looked like a casino. Roulettes, slot machines, card tables and many other games filled the red velvet room.

Odd enough, the place was brimming with activity, though no one was there. Machines simply moved on their own and music seemed to come out of nowhere.

"What the hell...?" Uryuu muttered as he looked at the weird picture.

"I don't know why, but I don't think Grimmjow is a ludopath" Chad said, remembering that that was the Palace belonging to the Sexta Espada.

"Oh, voices?" A voice asked to welcome them. "It's been so long since I've had a duel..." He was a tall individual of about 2 meters and toned muscles. His hair was orange and pointy and his face had a scar in the shape of an X above his nose. He wore a white hat with a red feather on top of it.

"What the...? You are not an Oni" Uryuu noticed. "You are an... Arrancar!"

"Oh please... At least give me the proper title..." The Arrancar showed a 6 tattooed on his right arm.

"Who are you?!" Chad asked, wanting to go straight to the point.

"Florian Magnus Morean. Sexta Espada" He replied calmly.

"What did you say...?" Ishida was in shock. "Th-That's not possible"

"Yeah... I thought the same at first. Unfortunately, this is my fate. I have no choice but to fight" He took his blade out and made a fighting stance. It was an antique swordsman's sword.

"But wait! You can't be the 6th Espada" Uryuu couldn't understand.

"Tch... You really like to talk. Sorry, but I can only fight!" He sprinted towards Ishida with tremendous speed and menaced to cut him with his long estoc.

Chad protected Ishida with his right arm.

"What's with that blade? Arrancar only use Zanpakuto! Unless..." Ishida looked at the clothes of the self-proclaimed Espada. He was clearly using a different attire from a mere uniform.

"It seems you have realised that I'm on my _Resurrección _already. Sorry if it came as a surprise, but you see, I don't like fighting if I don't give it my all. That's why I use my _Mosquetero_ to defeat my enemies in an instant, though you guys seem really strong" He replied as he stood a step back.

"Could it be...?" Uryuu rememembered. "That you were resurrected, just like Ulquiorra?"

"Ulquiorra?" He had a confused look. "Oh, you mean that pale guy named the Commander! Well, not exactly. He's an entirely resurrected being. I, on the other hand, am just a marionette" He said sadly.

"The Marionette...? Of whom?" Ishida asked.

"Him..." Morean's blue eyes headed towards the direction of one of the Black Jack tables.

A single croupier was dealing the cards, where other five Arrancar were playing.

The croupier was dressed as expected from the staff of a casino, but his left hand showed a roman VII. A black aura seemed to be its head, but despite its facelessness, it was clearly not blind.

"That... Is an Oni?" Chad muttered in astonishment.

"It seems like it. And we also predicted well. That's the 7th Duke"

"I don't really understand this situation, as that guy over there doesn't talk much... But I'm telling you, if I don't fight you, I feel like something terrible is gonna happen" The Arrancar explained.

"It sounds like an obsessive compulsive disorder" Ishida thought. "He doesn't know why, but he feels that he has to do something. No matter how, he just _needs_ to do it. As a result, the fighting capabilities of the resurrected Arrancar must be at their zenith. Whatever power that being has, it is truly freightening"

"_CERO!"_ The Espada blasted a red _Cero_ from his estoc.

Ishida and Chad dodged the blast and moved towards Morean from the sides.

"_Brazo izquierdo del Diablo... **La Muerte**__" _Chad punched the Arrancar with his power.

"Thank... You..." Florian said as he turned into dust.

"How horrible. I can't imagine the feeling of being revived under those conditions" Ishida said as he looked at the faceless being with contempt.

"And it's not over yet..." Chad muttered while the five Arrancar on the card table flipped towards them to fight.

"Damn it" The Quincy cursed, getting ready to blast thousands of arrows.

~~~~X~~~~

Pesche and Dondochakka had just arrived at a spherical dome that used to be the 7th Espada's Palace.

"Where are you, despicable Demon? Show yourself!" Pesche challenged, though there was no response.

"Hey, Pesche, what is all this?" Dondochakka asked him about the scraps of machines and blueprints that filled the room and turned it into a giant mess of machinery.

"Well... It's clear that this Oni in particular likes building stuff. Maybe he's an inventor like Szayelaporro"

"Look! He left a note!" Dondochakka picked up a paper.

"What? Are you serious? Let me see that"

Slowly read: "_Sorry, but I'm currently not available. If you wish to be destroyed so badly, come to the ruins. ~Ao"_

"This has to be a joke! Is he so confident in himself that he just invited us to find him and fight?" Pesche couldn't believe it.

"Maybe we could just skip him and advance towards the next Palace" Dondochakka proposed.

Pesche thought about it for a moment, but finally declined.

"No. Let's go to the ruins"

"What?! Why?"

"Whatever that guy is doing there, it can't be good. If he's like Szayel, it is very possible that he has special orders that have to do with research and such"

"Oh... You're right. What could he be looking for though?"

"I have no idea. I thought those laberynthic ruins were just vestiges of the past..."

"How strange..."

"Well, we have no time to waste. Let's go!"

"Yeah. I'll summon Bawabawa to get there faster"

"Good idea"

~~~~X~~~~

The Quincy and the Fullbringer were fighting the revived Arrancar inside the 6th Palace.

Uryuu was mainly attacking with _Seele Schneider_ while Chad used his _Brazo Derecho del Gigante_ to both defend and attack.

The enemy Arrancar seemed to have very different yet very destructive abilities. The biggest one seemed to have the claws and fangs of a tiger in his _Resurrección_. A shorter one had wings and flew all over the place like a firefly. A tall yet thin man became some sort of Chameleon, hiding his presence and using his tongue to attack. The only female was some sort of cheetah, and as expected, her speed was truly remarkable. Finally, the most powerful was a male Arrancar that had turned into a blazing phoenix that could blast fire from his mouth and throw his scorching pointy feathers at them. Their power was comparable to that of the Privaron Espada, but fighting them all at once was a real challenge.

"Behind you, Ishida!" Chad shouted at his friend.

Uryuu jumped backwards and shot a barrage of blue arrows at the Chameleon Arrancar that was attacking him from behind.

"These guys are clearly Espada... We must finish them off quickly or else we'll be at a disadvantage" He thought. "Good thing that I wasn't wasting my time..." He smirked. "Chad, now!"

"_El Directo__!__"_ He used his power to escape the palace.

"_Sprenger_"

The whole Palace exploded in blue flames, erasing the resurrected Arrancar in the process.

Ishida and Chad looked at the devastated building, looking for the Oni.

"Did we do it?" He asked.

"Was that supposed to kill me?" A man's voice said from behind him.

"What?!" Uryuu stepped back in an instant.

The Oni stood in the same place as Ishida and Chad prepared to destroy him.

"*sigh* I went through all the trouble of bringing the souls of a couple deceased Espada for such a terrible perfomance..." The creature shook what seemed to be its head.

"So... Those were in fact Espada of previous generations" Uryuu said in reply, trying to keep his composure. "How did you revive them?"

"To say the truth, I did not bring them back to life, I just brought their souls and created a link with my power to control them in a physical manner. I'd like to introduce myself..." The Oni did an elaborate reverence. "I am the 7th Duke: Takenawa, also called... _master of puppets_"

"Does this mean you are gonna fight us yourself now?" Chad asked.

"How funny... Of course not. I have to admit that you are stronger than I estimated, but you are far from being worthy opponents. You can try and change my mind by facing my new favourite puppet though" Takenawa put his left hand inside his face and seemed to grab something. His hand came back carrying a dark purple sphere covered by an ominous aura.

"Is that another Espada?" Ishida asked the Duke.

"Yes, good guess. This one is a more... Recent one, unlike those ancient relics. This one has an interesting story actually. He used to be the oldest living Hollow in all of Hueco Mundo a couple weeks ago. Of course, he proclaimed to be the one indisputable King in this whole realm due to his experience and immense power... But such power was his own downfall" Takenawa narrated, fascinated by the life of such a specimen.

"Hmph, Enough talking. I remember that the first revived Espada said you didn't talk much, but I think I've been deceived. If you won't hurry up with your little explanation, we'll destroy you before you have the chance to summon anything" Ishida replied as he appeared behind the Oni to make a surprise attack.

However, Takenawa effortlessly dodged by moving to the other side.

"You look eager. Don't worry, I won't make you wait any longer. Come forth... Barragan!"

The aura sphere exploded, leaving Chad and Uryuu blinded by some dark purple smoke.

"Let's stand back for a moment. We have no idea how powerful that Espada is" The Quincy proposed.

"Yeah, neither what kind of power it has" Chad agreed.

The dense smoke slowly dispersed, until the shadow of their rival came into sight.

A bulky man was standing before them. The silhouette showed that the Espada was holding some kind of axe.

"I don't know why, but he looks awfully strong, Ishida" Chad said his thoughts.

"He must be. After all, that Oni said he was his favourite"

Finally, the smoke dissipated completely.

"Is that... An old man?" Chad was surprised.

"Well, that guy said that he used to be the oldest Hollow. This must mean that he probably is in the same level as the Captain Commander of the Shinigami" Ishida replied.

"That day..." Barragan muttered. "I thought I would die. I thought that my existence had come to an end... I even descended into the depths of Hell and yet... Here I am, back in my old reign"

"Very well then, shall we start?" Takenawa raised his hands to control Barragan like a true marionette.

"Hm? That's odd" Uryuu thought. "He didn't do any of that when controlling the other Espada. Why does he do that now?"

"Wait" Barragan said.

"What is it?" Takenawa asked his marionette, intrigued.

"I'd like to have a word with them"

"Hmm... Very well. I have plenty of time and I'm quite interested in your sudden behaviour" The Oni complied.

"Tch..." Barragan made a sound of disapproval.

The old king walked towards his imposed enemies.

"Huh? What is he doing?" Ishida wondered.

Barragan stopped a couple meters away from the two.

"Are you by any chance friends of Kurosaki Ichigo?" He asked.

"Y-Yes" The two answered, not expecting such a question.

"I recognized you from the time you invaded Hueco Mundo. To be honest, I wouldn't like to fight you. I'm indebted to that kid for defeating that cursed Aizen. However..." The king stopped for a moment and looked them right in the eye. "As long as these strings are attached, I won't be able to deny him" He almost whispered.

"Is that... A clue?" Chad looked at Ishida.

The Quincy smiled as soon as he heard those words. "I see... I think I get it now. Thank you... Barragan"

"Time's up!" Takenawa announced and moved his fingers.

"Now, don't you dare die" Barragan raised his axe. "And a little tip: don't come close to my body unless you want to become dust"

"Understood" The Quincy prepared. "Chad, try to go for the Oni. I want to see if he's more vulnerable while controlling the puppet"

"Alright" Chad braced himself and used the power of his left arm as well.

Barragan swinged his weapon and blasted a wave of miasma at Ishida. He used _Hirenkyaku_ to dodge it and countered with a rain of arrows.

Chad flanked the enemies to get to Takenawa directly.

"_El Directo!__"_

"My, aren't you a smart one? I know what you must be thinking, but I'm afraid that it won't work. A true puppet master must be able to fight while controlling his puppets" The Oni replied as he evaded Chad's attack.

"Shut up and fight me already!"

"Hahahahaha, how amusing!" The Oni mocked.

Ishida was still shooting arrows at Barragan, who seemed to block and dodge them all.

"For your age, you really move fast"

"While that may be true, the real reason it's so easy for me is because your arrows are too slow. Or, to say the truth, they _become_ very slow"

"Everything he says points to one direction... Is it possible he controls time? No, that would be too great a power, but I can't discard it completely either"

Takenawa continued dodging Chad's fists on his end, though he was slowly being forced to using his arms to cover a couple punches once in a while.

"Wow, you're certainly stronger than I imagined you would be. You see, we know about you all, and when I heard there was a human... I seriously thought he would be a punching bag, but you are strong and a quick learner as well! As a reward, let me show you something interesting" Takenawa raised his left hand and moved his index and middle fingers frantically.

Chad instinctively looked at Uryuu's fight.

"Kid, you must dodge this at any cost!" Barragan warned as his hand moved towards the blade of his axe.

"What is gonna happen?" Ishida thought perplexed.

The Espada intentionally cut his hand, letting a trail of blood out. "**_Gran Emperador Cero_**"

An explosive blast of dark purple Reiatsu surrounded by Miasma was directed at Ishida, who gave it his all to escape the range of the attack.

He didn't have time to behold the majestic display of power, instead he could slightly evade it.

With his knees on the ground and panting, Ishida sighed in relief as he realised he was safe.

The _Cero_ crashed into one of the walls of Las Noches and reduced it to insignificant particles of dust.

Chad and Uryuu had their mouths opened as the desert of Hueco Mundo came in sight due to the destruction produced by the old Arrancar.

"Now that's what I call power!" Takenawa exclaimed. "I had never seen a _Gran Rey Ce__ro _of that magnitude. What other tricks might you have up your sleeve... Eh, Barragan?"

"Damn you..." The Espada muttered. In this point, he hated Takenawa as much if not more than Aizen. Aizen controlled him indirectly due to his amount of power, but the Oni had total control of his body and even his decisions to some extent, due to the strange sensation that came to him if he didn't fight.

"What power...!" Chad said in shock.

Ishida was able to stand up once again, although he was still breathing heavily.

"Fuck... If we can't even beat this guy, how are we supposed to defeat the Duke?" He thought. "Unless..." He remembered what Barragan said at the start of the fight:

"_As long as these strings are attached, I won't be able to deny him_"

"_Don't come close to my body unless you want to become dust_"

"That's it! Maybe we don't have to beat him, we just have to turn the tables of this fight by using his puppet against him" He looked at his arsenal, where only one _Seele Schneider_ remained. "I know what I must do"

"Are you still alive, kid?" The Espada asked.

"Yeah. I gotta say, that was quite impressive, but if that Oni wants to defeat us, he's not nearly using all your potential" Ishida made sure that Takenawa heard him.

"The Quincy is right" The Oni agreed. "It's time I show them true despair. Barragan, release your Zanpakutou"

"Look what you've done..." He muttered but was smiling. "So he finally understood" He thought.

"Chad! Get ready" He warned his friend and got close to him. "I'm gonna need you to keep doing what you were trying right now. I know it seems useless but just do it"

"Alright. I believe you have a plan"

"Of course. When I give you the sign, get as far as you can from Takenawa"

"Understood"

"Rot... _Arrogante_" Barragan transformed into his _Resurrección_, leaving a cloud of miasma all over the place.

"Let's do it!" The two said as they went directly to fight their opponents.

Ishida noticed how even the rocks around them were turning into sand as Barragan passed near them.

"Just like I thought, even inanimate objects suffer that effect"

"Are you ready for a real fight?" Barragan asked him.

"I'd like to say I'll try my best, but in the current situation, I cannot afford to lose. I just have to win!"

"Then prove that determination! No weakling would ever be able to defeat the God-Emperor of Hueco Mundo!"

The old Espada started approaching Ishida, who tried to keep his distance as much as possible, while at the same time, not losing sight of Takenawa.

Chad had managed to land a couple hits on the Oni, though the creature seemed to withstand them well enough. The Fullbringer had done so well, that the Duke was forced to draw his sword.

"Consider yourself lucky" He told Chad.

"I don't care about that shit! I want you all dead so we can take our friend back!" The human angrily replied.

Ishida was surprised by that reaction. He had been friends with him for a long time now, but he had never seen him so angry.

"Don't lose concentration, kid, or you'll be dead before you know it" Barragan returned him to reality.

The two continued clashing for a while. Ishida was now using _Seele Schneider_ to fight, but that was all part of the plan.

"Hey Barragan, how are you feeling those strings?" Uryuu asked him.

The old Hollow smirked. "Get ready"

"Now!" Ishida yelled at his partner.

"Yeah!" Chad sprinted away.

"Finally... No one gets to rule over me and live to tell the story. Not a Hollow, not a Shinigami, not an Oni... NO ONE!" Barragan exclaimed as he used _Sonido_ to rush over Takenawa's place.

The two humans got as far away as possible from Barragan as he approached Takenawa.

"Huh? What's going on?" The Oni seemed confused. "Why are you coming here?"

"Time of dying" The old king proclaimed. "**_Respira_**"

An explosion of dark purple miasma engulfed the two individuals. The roof of Las Noches deteriorated as the smoke touched it, leaving a huge piece of the dark sky in sight.

"Looks like it worked..." Uryuu muttered.

After the smoke was gone, only the old Espada stood in the desert. He remained in his _Resurrección_ and raised his huge Axe triumphantly.

"All hail king Barragan!" He said to himself.

Ishida and Chad approached him with caution, not wanting to be in the range of deterioration.

"I knew you could do something. You are a Quincy, aren't you?" The king asked him.

"Yeah. Did you know about us?"

"I reigned over Hueco Mundo for a bit more than a thousand years. Of course I came across a Quincy or two and because of that, I knew that they could absorb the Reishi from around them, even from their enemies' techniques"

"That's what you did, Ishida?" Chad was curious.

"Yes. I noticed that he couldn't control Barragan as easily as the other Espada. Takenawa was forced to use some kind of force to order him around, so I thought that he possibly created strings of Reishi. With that theory in mind, I used _Seele Schneider__'s _ability, _Anhäufer_, to absorb the Reishi of the strings until Barragan was free. As soon as I saw him, I knew he didn't want to be controlled, so I guess we called upon a truce"

"And I'm glad I did. After dying for the first time, I noticed that my pride had been dragging me down for most of my existence, so I tried to swallow it all to work together and beat that bastard"

"What will you do now?" Chad asked him.

"Heh... I don't think much" The king sadly confessed as he showed how his skeletal hand was turning into dust.

"Are you... Dying?" Chad asked in shock.

"Of course not. I'm already dead. Remember that only my soul had been brought here, but my being has already perished. I'm just returning to Jigoku to face my punishment and return to the endless cycle of life and death after some thousands of years... Unless you mind helping me, Quincy"

"You don't say...!" Ishida predicted.

"Yes. I was born king of Hueco Mundo, here in this realm... And I wanna die king in it as well, forever"

Uryuu and Chad were amazed by such resolve.

"I understand. But first, given your wisdom, do you have any idea why the Oni attacked this place?" The Quincy thought he could get some information before his end.

"Good choice of words. While I am not certain, there is only one place with a power that could interest them in all of Hueco Mundo. Deep in the heart of _Ruinas Huecas_, the ancient ruins near Las Noches, it is rumored that there is an artifact of divine properties. To be honest... I never saw it with my own eyes, but the only mentor I ever had confirmed it was real. Actually, if he happened to be alive, he would be of more use to you. After all, he was one of the original Espada..."

"Original?! Does that mean..."

"The first generation. Tens of thousands of years before I started my reign, maybe even hundreds of thousands. Despite my experience, there are many things I don't know about this place or what we truly are, but if someone knows, that would be him. _Nakagawa Nageki__: _Primera Espada, the first one to ever exist, named such by none other than _Gran Rey Cero_ himself"

"_Gran__ Rey... Cero_?" Chad muttered. "Isn't that an attack?"

"An attack named after its first user. Not many Hollows know about those legends today, but most Espada I've met know a couple of them. Gran Rey Cero, was the title given to the first king of Hueco Mundo. Unfortunately, his name has been either forgotten or chosen not to be pronounced again..."

"And you're saying that this ancient Espada could be alive and he knows more about this all?" Uryuu tried to summarize.

"Exactly" Barragan coughed. His lower body was starting to dissolve.

"But how?! I mean, you look like this and had like a maximum a couple thousands of years. How could a being so old still be alive?"

"That's something he never revealed, not even to me. During all the time I was with him, he looked the same way as I met him. And, as you can guess, my special ability to age my surroundings didn't work around him"

"What the..." The two said surprised.

"If you want to know more, you are going to need to look for him. He was some kind of nomad, so who knows where he is now... Anyway, I think it's time I go back to the nothingness where I once came from" Barragan concluded.

"Oh, right! Sorry..." Ishida remembered it was his job.

"And please, tell Kurosaki Ichigo that he has my most sincere gratitude. Too bad I won't ever meet him... If he was a Hollow, I would've gladly passed on the throne to him"

The words of the Espada gave Ishida flashbacks of when Ichigo became a Vasto Lorde.

"No... That won't happen. Never again" He thought to comfort himself. "Goodbye, king of Hueco Mundo. We are grateful for your aid in this battle. _**Licht Regen**!"_ A rain of shining blue arrows descended upon Barragan, who was being erased from existence permanently.

As the light consumed his soul, the old king thought about his life.

"Maybe... No. I definitely could've been a better king. It's too late for remorse but, I hope the next one can do better. I couldn't return Hueco Mundo to its former glory, though I never really thought I could match such high expectations" He closed his eyes. "Will you ever return...? Gran Rey Cero?"

The light finished consuming him completely. No trace of Barragan Louisenbairn was left. It was as if he never existed, but that was his final wish.

Ishida and Chad respectfully stared at the space where the monarch disappeared.

A sound called their attention however.

A clap.

Another clap.

And yet another clap.

Someone was slowly clapping, as if mocking the end of Barragan.

"No way...!" The two thought as they looked at the individual.

"Marvelous end for such a... Remarkable character, don't you think? Too bad that his sacrifice was all in vain" It was none other than Takenawa, now wearing a funeral attire.

"How in the world?!" Ishida yelled as he raised his bow.

"Why are you still alive?!" Chad asked for an explanation as he activated the power of his two arms.

"Hahahahahahaha... You didn't really think that I would allow a puppet to harm its master, did you? Of course I knew that Barragan was the kind of dog that bites the hand that feeds it as soon as he gets the chance. However, it was as easy as denying that action with the release of my _Onibu__ki_. You see, the release of a weapon wielded by an Oni of the level Duke and on is considered a crime to the God-race. You know why that is? Because that is the first step towards true immortality"

"True immortality? Are you saying that...?"

"Exactly. When we liberate our blades, there is no amount of time capable of deteriorating us. We are undying"

"Don't give me that crap! We'll find a way to eliminate you all" Chad spat back.

"Mhmhmhmhm... I'd love to see you try" Takenawa replied raising a large marionette cross. "Now the real game starts. The game of life. Have fun facing my dear _Mephisto_"

A ghostly white hand of giant size appeared above him. 10 Blue strings came out from each of its fingers. Deceased Arrancar and Shinigami Souls were attached to each string and lifelessly looked at the pair of humans.

"This has to be a joke..." Uryuu muttered.

"Ahahahahaha! How's that? 50 vs 2. I can't wait to enjoy this"

"Ishida... We have no choice" Chad replied.

"I know. We'll just have to give it our all... I'm glad I brought these with me though" Ishida took a couple capsules from his pocket. "I'll fight the army, you take care of the Oni and that hand"

"No problem. I'll show them what I'm made of" He said determined.

"Very well..."

"Let's go!" The two said in unison.

Ishida used _Hirenkyaku_ to move around the army of corpses, slashing his way through them and eliminating the most numbets he could while smartly dropping capsules around the battlefield.

Chad jumped at the hand and hit it with _La Muerte_. He actually managed to crack the hand, but it was not enough.

"Outstanding, human! But you'll have to do better than that if you want to beat my White Hand" Takenawa commented.

"Tsk... I'll show you" Chad thought about using his true power, but decided to wait a bit more.

Ishida had finished his run through the deadly army of undead Souls. He looked back for an instant, and then closed his eyes to finish it all.

"_Hakumen Kudashi__"_ He pronounced, and the sands in which the puppets were instantly detonated with an unseen destructive capability. The explosion destroyed the roof above the 6th palace completely.

"Ho? This is getting more and more interesting" The Duke said to himself as he saw the results. Not even one puppet was left on the crater created by the explosion.

Chad charged his right arm to dash full force at the White Hand.

"*sigh* How predictable..." The Oni mocked.

However, right before hitting the hand, he used his left arm as well.

"**_El Directo Mortal_**_!"_The human went through the White Hand, which turned into some kind of ash and dispersed into nothingness.

The two humans approached the Duke, ready to finish him once and for all.

"It's the end, Takenawa!" Ishida declared raising his bow.

"You've got nowhere to run..." Chad added, ready to end the Demon's life.

"Are you sure we can't somehow... Sort this out through peaceful means? To say the truth, I never intended to kill you! I was just fooling around a bit, I swear!" The faceless being cried for mercy. "Please, forgive me!"

"Your cheap excuses mean nothing to us. You took our friend..." Ishida said.

"You used Souls to do the dirty work and killed innocent Hollows!" Chad spouted.

"I know, I know... But, what do you really get by killing me? If I ran away, it wouldn't be a problem for anyone, would it? It's a win-win!" The Demon tried to convince them.

"Drop dead" Chad said with his hair covering his eyes, not even wanting to look a the despicable enemy as he prepared a final fist.

Takenawa however, stood up once again. This time he turned the Marionette Cross back into a blade.

"You didn't really think that was all, did you?" His voice sounded more sinister this time.

"What the-?" Uryuu was surprised by his sudden resolve.

"I told you. The release of our blades is a sin. You can't possibly believe that a laughable amount of power like that would be considered a threat to the Old Gods..."

"Chad, we must kill him! NOW!"

The two attacked the Duke desperately, but he disappeared in a flash and appeared behind them.

"I think it's time you face reality. We are Oni. We have guarded Jigoku for eons, you can't expect us to fall so easily, mortals!" He raised his _Oni__buki_. "Gather souls... _Mephistopheles_"

The released blade created an explosion of pure dark Reiatsu that obligated the two fighters to fall to their knees.

Upon them, the figure of Takenawa appeared flying. He had turned into a small brown Demon with two goat horns and black bat wings.

"This is my true form. You must be really confused... What you saw earlier could be compared to an incomplete _Shikai_. If I release my sword by saying: _Gather, Mephisto_; Not even half of my power would be released. However, I've decided to eliminate you two with my full strength. The fact that a mortal Soul can match in power to an Oni is scary... But the possibility that mere humans could equal our strength is simply unacceptable. You should feel proud that you've forced me to use this, given your condition, but this is truly the end. You could say... The White Hand you defeated earlier is a mere apprentice. Now, it's time to play an impossible game. It's time for you to meet... The _Master of Puppets_"

~~~~X~~~~

**Wow, that wasn't easy to write at all, but at the same time, I feel infinitely better writing _that_ than a Pokemon battle or Yu-Gi-Oh! duel.****That said, I hope I could give you the feeling you were watching an epic battle as you read this, since that is, in my humble opinion, the zenith of writing abilities.**

**Reviews:** **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Awesome chapter! Whoohoo! Another good read indeed! Anyway, looking forward to the fights that begin next chapter. Keep this up!_**

**_P.S. Quick question_****: ****_Did you tease that you might do a sequel with Yhwach when Isshin revealed Masaki as a Quincy?_**

**Reply: Happy to hear that. Replying your question... Maybe I did, but I wanna make clear that any confirmation of sequel right now is impossible. This story is honestly, just beginning, so I'd rather not compromise myself to more future work so soon. Despite that, my idea is to connect this story to all the canon events that come afterwards in some way, so it is something I'd like to do at least. Of course, if this fic gets lots of love, I'll feel motivated to continue writing about this world :)**

**Until next chapter, Evhron.**

**PD: I also took more time cause Nel CFYOW is back in the summons. As you might imagine, I still haven't got her, possibly due to a curse some so called friend casted upon me. Can you believe I got 2 Sun-Sun's instead?! Give me a break...**

**Glossary:**

**_Mosquetero: _Musketeer**

**_Gran Emperador Cero: _Great Emperor Cero. It is a normal Gran Rey Cero except for the fact that Barragan mixes his own miasma with it. He calls it differently because of his own pride.**

**_Ruinas Huecas: _Hollow Ruins. The laberynthic complex Ichigo and his friends entered during their past visit, though it is a lot greater than they thought.**


	10. VII - Monmalist

"It's really dark in here, Pesche!" Dondochakka complained.

"I know, but what do you want me to do?"

"Sorry, you're right"

"Still... We are never going deeper into this place if we can't even see our feet. Are you able to summon a glowing beast or somethin'?"

"Um... Maybe I am. Let's find out!" The Arrancar opened his mouth to let a big larvae with a skull on its face out.

The insect could emit a bright green light from its body, allowing them to see the place a lot better.

"That's more like it!" Pesche said happily.

"But it seems it's too slow, so I'll carry it"

They continued around the maze of tunnels and pitfalls that were the ruins, trying to get a glimpse of sound, Reiatsu, or anything that could give them a small idea of where the Oni was.

"How do we know we are not lost?" Dondochakka asked.

"To be honest, I don't know. But if there is in fact something hidden here, I guess it must be as deep as possible into this maze"

"You have a point. So what then?"

"Let's keep going down and further into the center. I'm sure we'll get somewhere"

"Alright"

Afyer a couple minutes doing that, they felt that the walls shaked a little and then stopped.

"Was that my imagination?" Pesche thought.

Once again, the same feeling came to them.

"Hey, Pesche. Are the walls moving by any chance?"

"So it's true! Something is going on... Let's go! We might be getting closer" The Arrancar started running.

"H-Hey wait up!"

"No, you must run faster! I can't see without that weird bug of yours"

"It's not a weird bug. He's actually really cute" Dondochakka hugged the creature.

"*sigh* We have no time to lose!"

"Sorry, sorry... I know"

"Also, get ready. We might have to fight in no time!"

"Okay..." The stone face replied, not so motivated. "How do you think the others are doing?"

"They should be fine! Don't you remember how strong they were during the training?"

"I mean yes but, we've never really faced these guys before"

"Maybe so, but don't think too much about it. We just have to do our best and hope for the rest to be okay. Nel-sama is the safest she could be, if that's what worries you the most"

"I wasn't really concerned about that. After all, Ichigo-sama is more than capable of protecting Nel-sama. I'm sure that he won't let anything happen to her"

"Were you thinking about Renji and Uryuu then?"

"Yes. Last time, despite their powers, they were no match for the actual Espada. Even Szayelaporro, who was just the 8th, was able to completely overwhelm them" Dondochakka remembered worried.

"That's true... But I'm sure this time it's gonna be different. It's some kind of hunch I have. Rest assured. They'll be just fine..."

~~~~X~~~~

Takenawa raised his demonic hands and then dropped them down in the air.

As he did this, two colossal hands fell on the desert, making a roar and raising a small sandstorm.

The left hand was black while the right hand was white. Their size completely shadowed the previous White Hand.

"I'd like to introduce you to Another Hand..." Takenawa saluted with his left hand. "...And the famous Killing Hand" The left hand made a pistol with its fingers.

Chad noticed that such a movement wasn't a coincidence.

"Ishida, move!" He pushed his friend to the side.

As soon as the Killing Hand moved upwards, a shot of dark Reiatsu was sent flying at the speed of light towards them.

"Did you see it?" Uryuu asked his friend.

"No. I just had a bad feeling"

"Damn it. That hand really lives up to its name..."

"Ishida!" Chad had a look of the most utter fear.

"What's wrong?"

"Wh-Where...? Where is the other hand?!" He pointed at a blank space.

Ishida was suddenly shocked by the discovery. The black hand was literally gone.

Suddenly, he felt something hit him with tremendous strength in the stomach. He was sent flying through the battlefield.

On the place where Ishida was, Another Hand reappeared. It was in a position that suggested it made a flip with the middle finger to attack Ishida.

"You'll pay for that!" Chad became angrier. "_El Directo Mortal!"_

As he hit the black hand, the feeling he had was of punching an unbreakable wall. It didn't hurt him, but it didn't work in the slightest either.

Another Hand became hidden once again. It seemed to be able to turn invisible whenever it was not attacking.

Chad looked everywhere and even tried to feel the Reiatsu of his surroundings, but there was no success. The hand could perfectly hide its presence.

Once again, Chad had a hunch to where the hand would appear at least, so he rolled through the sand in the last possible moment.

A second later, Another Hand had fallen over the spot he was moments before. Unfortunately for him, the Killing Hand grabbed him from behind.

Uryuu was spitting blood when he noticed that Chad was in the air, being crushed by the tremendous grip of the Killing Hand.

"AARGHHH!"

"Chad!"

The Quincy didn't think twice before rushing at the giant hand with his bow, but then he thought: "Wait, my arrows won't damage this thing in the slightest... What can I do?!" He looked at Takenawa. Just like Komamura, his movements were the same as the hands', so he had to do one thing.

"_Licht Regen"_ He attacked the Duke directly.

The Oni easily evaded the rain of arrows, but despite his speed and evasion in his new form, Ishida had sent one arrow astray in between the thousand others.

That single _Heilig Pfeil_ circled around Takenawa to then pierce his right hand directly, which forced it to open.

"Ho? You are more capable than I thought. I'll make sure such a miracle does not hapen twice"

Chad fell to the ground, breathing heavily, coughing blood and with his body in a world of pain.

"Chad, how are you?!"

"Kgh... I think I broke a pair of ribs. But that aside... *cough* I-I'm fine..."

As soon as they looked around, the Killing Hand was going right at them again and Another Hand had disappeared.

"Not again..." Uryuu muttered.

The hands toyed with them for another while, giving a hard time to both humans.

Another Hand hid its pressence to grab or punch them, while the Killing Hand could mimick a weapon and attack accordingly. For all this, the combination of both was deadly. Both friends didn't know what to do while Another Hand was invisible and once they noticed, the Killing Hand had already mimicked a knife and sent deadly slashes of black Reiatsu towards them.

In spite of it all, this segment allowed them to start seeing through Takenawa's movements and patterns, though it was not a perfect strategy.

Once the Oni noticed that they were dodging most of the attacks, he decided that playtime was over.

"Enough fooling around, my dear Hands..." Takenawa said. "Show them your true power"

The black hand rose into the black sky above them and created a giant marionette's cross. From the cross, large blue light strings were created and connected to the body of an even bigger being that was being formed.

Fragments of dust and sand started merging together from top to bottom, shaping a soldier of unseen size.

"Behold my strongest puppet, made from the gift of nature as well as my own Reishi: **_Koloss_**_"_ Takenawa introduced.

The size of the creature would have even compared to that of Tengen Myo'o for a bit. It was clear that this being was a true monster in terms of power, and not happy with that, the Killing Hand summoned a hundred other puppet souls to fight alongside it.

"You fought well" Takenawa complimented. "But this... Is the end"

The two humans stood like statues in the shadow of the colossus, trying to understand the situation they were in.

"Ishida, do you still have an ace under your sleeve?" Chad asked him.

"Huh?" At first, the Quincy only snapped, leaving his relentless thoughts to go back to the real world. "Yeah... I have one more thing left"

"Good. I'm going to fight this thing and the army. You need to focus on Takenawa. Can you do that?"

Ishida was astonished by Chad's words. He couldn't believe he was going to fight the mountain-size creature alone.

"Y-Yes. I think I might just be able to pull it off"

"Very well. I'm not as smart as you, so I don't think I could ever come up with a strategy the same way that you do, but with my brute strength, I hope that I'll at least be able to give you the chance to carry out your plan. Good luck, Ishida"

"What are you going to do?!"

"Just go. I need space. Don't worry about me"

"O-Okay. Don't do anything reckless"

The Quincy ran off like Chad told him, not thinking about anything else than how to use his last resort to defeat Takenawa.

Chad on his part, looked up to see Koloss in all his might.

"I didn't think I would be forced to use this... But here goes nothing: _**Cuerpo del Titán**"_

A memory of the time he made the sand move just by putting his will onto it, Chad had designed a technique that could use this in a massive scale.

His body was covered by a storm of sand and rocks. The materials were swinging around him relentlessly and didn't allow Ishida to see what was going on.

Inside the hurricane of dust and sand, a body was starting to emerge. With his being at the core of this new form, Chad created a colossus of his own to fight the other.

Takenawa looked in amazement at the power displayed by the human. Never on his sempiternal existence had he seen a human with such tenacity and vast amount of Reiatsu.

"I have to end this as soon as possible. There's no way I'm letting these people near Yama-sama" He thought.

The armor was completed at the same size of Koloss. It had a spartan knight's helmet for a head, instead of the monstrous face of the Oni's puppet.

Chad opened his eyes once more. His sight, was the same of his colossus. His movement, of course, was the same.

It is important to note that such a technique was only possible to use so greatly due to the high amount of Reishi present in Hueco Mundo. Unknown to Chad, he had used his Fullbring Powers to pull it off, using the soul of the sand and rocks that surrounded him, commanding them to change their shape.

"Time to end this!" He thought decided, and the Titan roared in reply to his wishes.

Ishida couldn't believe what his friend had just done. However, he had no time to distract himself. He had one job, and he had to carry it out perfectly.

Chad punched Koloss in the head with a right knuckle and turned its right cheek to smithereens.

"You think copying me is gonna get you anywhere?!" Takenawa spouted at Chad.

"I would never copy you. There are so many ways we're not the same. For starters, I'm moving mountains while you play your game!" Chad spat back.

The enemy giant of rock opened its mouth to throw a ball of dark Reiatsu at him, but Chad crouched and kicked the colossus in the legs to make it fall. Koloss had no chance to remain on its feet, falling helplessly into the sand and smashing half of the army of Soul marionettes in the process.

"It can't be... He's winning!" Takenawa couldn't believe it.

While Chad kicked the marionette on the ground, Ishida approached the Oni for one last match.

The rest of the puppet army was trying to catch and kill Uryuu as he approached Takenawa, but was destroyed by Ishida's countless arrows and anti-hollow mines in the process. It did not erase all of them, but it gave him enough space to cross the path.

"I honed this technique for a while... It should go well as long as I have an opening" He thought, getting even closer to the Duke.

Takenawa saw him before though, and flew towards the Quincy to kill him instantly.

"Don't get cocky, humans! Mortal life has always been a joke! Life is just a game! You can't win!"

The Demon was ready to rip Ishida apart with his claws, so he flew directly at him, but that gave Uryuu the chance he was waiting for.

Ishida was expecting such a desperate reaction by this point, so he decided to use his last card.

"I'll show you what Quincies are able to do!"

He broke hisSeele Schneiderin two to resemble a cross and chanelled almost all his remaining Reishi through it. The puppet strings had given him a lot, so there was a lot of material to work with.

"_Heilig Kreuz"_ A blinding light fell upon him as he casted the new technique he had developed.

In his hands, he was now holding a giant golden cross embedded with light. He swinged the crucifix at the Oni while he was still blinded and threw it at him with sheer velocity.

"_**Reinigen**!"_ As he pronunced that word, the cross exploded and consumed everything on its great radius. The blinding light burned Takenawa, who was screaming in agony.

From the distance, the Titan stood in awe as the giant explosion of light rose from the floor towards the sky.

Chad, determined by his friend's might, delivered one last blow at Koloss before his armor cracked, making him fall. "He... Did it..." He said as he fell through the air, to then lay unconscious on the ground as his Titan crumbled and returned to the dust.

It didn't matter however, as Koloss and the two hands were slowly disappearing. Takenawa was finally dying.

"Is it all over?" Ishida asked himself as he fell to his knees.

The light of the giant cross had disappeared, leaving half of the body of Takenawa crawling in the floor.

Uryuu almost puked from the sight, as guts were coming out of his lower body as he did. Blood was all over the place.

"I... Cannot... Die... We... Are... Un...Dying..." He muttered as he crawled through the sand. "How could I die?! Before repaying my debt... To him...?" The Oni thought as he remembered the past:

_Titiritero had been a lonely Arrancar that used to create puppets of sand and rocks to feel he had company._

_Adjuchas and Vasto Lordes were afraid of his ability, so no one had ever been his friend..._

_At least until:_

_"You are very good at making these" A male voice told him._

_The_ _Arrancar__ was astonished that someone was speaking to him._

_"You... Like my puppets?" He asked surprised, not turning towards the other man._

_"Yeah, I find them fascinating! Not many Hollows practice a style of art" He replied._

_"Art...? I guess you could call it that..." He smiled._ _"Do you have a name?"_

_"No... I'm just known around here by the name of my Zanpakuto, Titiritero. What about you?"_

_"If you want to know at least let me have a look at your face"_ _The Arrancar tilted towards the voice, a bit unsure, but in the end, happy to meet the first person that didn't fear him._

_Titiritero had mid-legth blonde hair and dark blue eyes. The fragments of his mask covered half of his face, as if it was a fringe, though his other eye was visible._

_His expression became that of shock when he noticed who had been talking to him.__"No way... You are... Gran Rey Cero!"_

_"Wow, I'm flattered. I never thought a Hollow living so far from Las Noches would recognize me"_

_"You are a legend in all of Hueco Mundo. Every Hollow has heard a description of your might, your attitude and your appearance at least once in his life. No description matches the real one though!"_

_"Well, that makes it all easier. I want you to come with me"_

_"Huh? Why?"_

_"I have been here for longer than any other Hollow. I know the loneliness most Hollows deal with, and believe me, I understand how you must feel in your isolation better than anyone else... But that's also why I have a vision. A vision of Hollows working together. A vision of powerful Arrancar like you forming bonds of friendship. A vision, where all of Hueco Mundo coexists in harmony, or at least, as peaceful as it can possibly be"_

_"And you think I...? I can be a part of that?" His eyes were filled with hope._

_"Of course. Everyone must be a part of this, but Arrancar like you especially, since I can't do this alone. To unite all of Hueco Mundo, I need a group of strong individuals that can communicate my ideals and help me keep the peace through these vast lands"_

_"But... Everyone's afraid of me. How could I...?"_

_"By protecting them. There are countless tyrannical groups that oppress the weak and feed relentlessly on them despite never becoming Vasto Lordes. Only a handful of us are destined for that, and only a select group inside them will become Arrancar. That is how things are supoosed to be... And that is what causes this divergence and overall, this endless mysery to our race. But... What if I told you that I've found a way to break the cycle?"_

_"What? What do you mean?!" He couldn't believe what he was listening._

_"If you wish to know, come with me. I'll give you a family, I'll give you a home, and if you allow me, I'll give you a name... A true name"_

_Titiritero's puppets crumbled as he took desperately took the king's hand._

_"Please! I'll do anything...!"_

_"Ahahaha..." The king chuckled. "No need to be hasty. Just follow me. I'll show you your new family in the Palace"_

_The palace of Las Noches was unlike anything he had seen. Despite being surrounded by endless sands, inside its walls were green areas fountains of water and living trees with beautiful fruits growing on them._

_"I had never seen water before... I thought it was only a legend" He said surprised._

_"Hueco Mundo has lots of water. The problem is that most of it is very deep underground, but me and my fellow Arrancar created wells and fountains to bring it here" The king explained._

_"Amazing"_

_Once he arrived in the court room, he met six other Arrancar in the courtroom._

_"No way! They are Arrancar... Just like me!" He exclaimed._

_"The newbie seems euphoric" One with half the Hollow mask of a Unicorn said._

_"Though probably we were the same when we first arrived, Nii-san" Another Arrancar, with the mask of a horse and the opposite half broken said._

_"Espada! Welcome your new brother... Fukui Takenawa"_

_"Take...Nawa..." He repeated his new name._

_"Do you like it?" The king asked him._

_"Yes! I really do"_

_"Very well then. Takenawa, welcome to the Espada. You'll serve as the Séptima Espada"_

_"Y-Yes! Um... What does that mean?" He asked oblivious._

_"It means you are right under me" A male Arrancar of green hair and yellow eyes put his hand on his shoulder. "Kaneshiro Asahi, Sexta Espada. My Zanpakuto is named Rueda Casino, its powers have a lot to do with luck and chance, but don't worry, it's not like I'm gonna use it on you"_

_"I'm glad..." He sighed in relief._

_"You two will go look for more Arrancar together, though intelligent Vasto Lordes and Adjuchas work as well" The king ordered. "That is our current mission. Even I go find interesting Hollows when I hear about them. That's how I came to find you"_

_"I see"_

_"So, do your best! Go when you're ready and we hope to see again soon"_

_"Yes!" The two agreed._

_Takenawa and Kaneshiro travelled through Hueco Mundo together for a very long time. They became best friends and showed each other's their own talents._

_Takenawa showed him his ability to create marionettes, while Asahi showed the different kinds of games he had designed._

_"I call this game Black Jack. I made these cards by transforming the wood of the trees inside Las Noches into this material with Reishi"_

_"Cool. You are amazing, Asahi!"_

_"Nah, this is nothing compared to what the others are able to do"_

_"Maybe not in terms of power, but the way you design these games is genius!"_

_"You really think that?" Asahi felt happy. "Thank you, Takenawa. Your puppets are awesome too!"_

_"Thank you" He smiled at his friend._

_Takenawa's existence as an Espada meant by far the happiest days of his life._

_Together, the Arrancar formed under the vision of Gran Rey Cero had transformed Hueco Mundo into a real paradise. But unfortunately... It wasn't to last._

_Arriving in Hell, after that despicable day..._

_"So... You were an Espada?" Yama asked the Hollow, who had just fallen into Jigoku._

_"Y-Yes... The Angels... The Gods... They killed everyone... I-I-I... couldn't take it, I... I just wanted to die!" He replied as he remembered the way in which he hanged himself with a chain, not being able to take the death of his fellow Espada, especially Asahi._

_"Shh... Don't worry. If it's revenge what you want, I'll give you all the power you need. It won't be soon, but I promise you that one day, we will punish those cursed Gods, what do you say?" He showed his hand to the Hollow._

_"I... I will avenge my friends... I will... I will avenge my Gran Rey Cero!" Takenawa shouted in replyas he held Yama's hand._

_"No matter what I have to do. No matter who I have to kill. I'll do it so I can see their faces cower in despair and their bodies contort with regret!"_

_His soul couldn't resist the metamorphosis into a Demon at first, which turned his face into an amalgamation that collapsed. Despite this, his own resolve saved the rest of his body in the end. Yama helped him shape a new head, but a dark aura was all he could do.__Takenawa's desire for revenge, ended up twisting his soul. His kindness and friendly nature were erased by the wicked power that corrupted him, irreversibly._

Back to the present, Ishida tried to stand up to shoot one last arrow and finish it, but his body didn't let him.

"Ngh!"

Takenawa continued crawling towards the Quincy, not wanting to give up just yet. Not letting go of the new life that had been given to him.

"Mortals... Must... Die... Gods... Must... Die... All... Shall... Perish... Before... Yama..." His black eyes were suddenly draimed of all life. "Sa...Ma..."

Once the Demon stopped crawling, his body started deteriorating rapidly until there was nothing left but sand. Not even the guts and blood left on the field were left. It was like he had vanished. He was completely erased from the face of Hueco Mundo, and possibly, the universe.

"*pant* *pant* *pant* Woah... That was a close one..." Uryuu muttered before falling unconscious due to exhaustion in the middle of the battlefield.

~~~~X~~~~

"It seems the 7th Duke has fallen" Ulquiorra told Orihime as he watched the TV like screen inside the palace. "Your friends are alive"

"I know. Their Reiatsu did not disappear so I thought as much" She smiled relieved from a comfortable sofa.

"Are you sure you don't want to see their battles? Aizen installed this sofisticated system that lets us see everything that happens inside these walls, although a big part of the Palace was destroyed during the fight"

"I'd rather not. I know they are strong, but those Demons give them a hard time anyways... Why do you have to fight them too?"

"I'm sorry, Inoue... I really wish I could do otherwise, but there is no other choice"

"Cifer-kun, I know you are in a complicated spot as well, but I'll tell you something. If you choose to trust me, you can trust them as well. Kurosaki-kun, Sado-kun, Ishida-kun... They never let you down. Neither do Rukia-san or Abarai-kun, and I'm sure the other people that came to this place are the same"

"If I knew what trust was, I would probably understand what you're trying to say..." He sadly replied.

"You could start by telling me your plan" She reminded him.

"I... I'm not sure I have a plan anymore" He looked somewhere else.

"*sigh* I know how hard it must be for you to make such a choice..." She stood from the furniture and went to his side. "But if you put your heart in our hands, we won't let you down" He grabbed his hand and placed it on the center of her chest.

Ulquiorra blushed confused as he felt the warmth of her body. In addition to that, regardless of her clothes, he could still feel the softness of her breasts. He had never touched a woman before, so such a sudden approach left him astonished. He shyly put his hand back in his pocket after a couple seconds.

"I-I will think about it... But regardless of the rest of your friends, I must kill Kurosaki Ichigo. Yama would not forgive me if I didn't"

"And that's whatyouwant to do? You want to keep doing as that Demon tells you?"

"There's no point in answering that. However, if you really wish to know, I decided on my own that Kurosaki Ichigo had to die ever since I was resurrected"

"But why?! Is it for anger?! Is it for revenge?!" Orihime cried, as she could not understand his motives despite knowing more about him.

"No. Totally wrong"

"Then why?!"

"Because I want to thank him" He gave her his typical look of emptiness.

Ulquiorra left the room without saying another word. Orihime was left speechless, unable to comprehend the words she just heard.

"Could it be that death is a prize to him? Like it was some kind of gift? The gift of death?" She thought with great sorrow as she imagined the way Ulquiorra felt about existence. "Oh Cifer-kun..." She cried.

~~~~X~~~~

"P-Pesche! Are you sure this place won't fall down?!" Dondochakka was scared as the walls trembled.

"I don't know! Let's run for it!"

The two Arrancar desperately ran deeper into the ruins, just when pieces of the maze were starting to fall.

"Aaaahhhhh!" The two screamed as they escaped.

Suddenly, they entered a large chamber. Pesche didn't have time to analize the space as he tripped over a pile of rocks, with Dondochakka following.

"Ungh..." Pesche complained.

"Ow... Ow... Ow..." Dondochakka was holding his head in a painful way.

"Huh? What is this place?" He looked around.

Golden statues of beings they did not recognize were displayed on the sides of the ancient room. Even more strange, there was a sound neither of them recognized.

"Do you hear that? What is that sound?" Dondochakka asked.

"Something seems to be flowing..." Pesche observed.

In the center of the room, was an object they had never seen in Hueco Mundo, but that called their attention in the Human world.

"A... Fountain?!" They couldn't believe it.

The only water they knew was the one created by the powers of Arrancar, but they had never seen a natural source of water in Hueco Mundo.

Before they could get near, the place started shaking once again.

"That thing again!" Pesche said bothered.

"It seems to come from there" His brother pointed at a hole in the opposite side of the chamber.

"Let's go" Pesche said decided. "And brace yourself... It must be an Oni"

Dondochakka gulped, but advanced regardless.

On the end of the room seemed to be a beautiful golden gate, but whoever was making the place tremble had forced its way through it.

Looking further, there were many more gates like it, all destroyed of course, and by the end of the hallway, was the shadow of a tall individual standing next to a giant machine.

The two Arrancar wasted no time in approaching the suspected enemy, decided to attack as soon as they saw the opportunity.

"It seems there are only a couple more left..." The Oni muttered as he pressed a button on a control.

The machine turned out to be a large drill and was breaking the golden gate that was blocking their path.

"Stop it! You have no business here!" Pesche shouted at him.

"Ho? Guests? How interesting..." The oni smirked as he tilted towards them. He was wearing a long lab coat, ragged and stained because of use. His blueish gray skin, troll-like face and three curvy horns that came out of his head confirmed that he was the one they were looking for. "Greetings, Arrancar! My name's Anri, the 8th Duke, though many call me Ao because of my skin. I left a note back at the lab excusing my absence, but it seems youchoseto look for my being to challenge me..."

"Of course. We knew you were up to no good, so we decided to come after you anyways! Right, Dondochakka?"

"R-Right! We came to stop you!" The Arrancar replied, though he was clearly scared.

"Hehehehe... I never thought Arrancar had such a sense of duty. I'm kinda new to this Oni business so, I haven't been able to observe you for as long as the other Dukes. Even so, I consider myself a researcher, so I like investigating and finding out about everything. Though I gotta say that you two don't seem to be the most interesting specimens..."

"How insolent! We'll show you what we're able to do. We know you have a sword, draw it!"

"Hmm, nah. I'm not that much of a fighter. Three of us Dukes aren't in fact. Of course, we all have standard combat abilities, but our forte isn't sheer strength or power. But don't worry, some of my machines are designed for advanced combat, so I'll let you entertain yourselves while I finish over here" Ao threw a metallic capsule at them.

The capsule let out a strange dense gas as it opened. Neither Pesche nor Dondochakka had the guts to go near it as it liberated the rare fog.

After the room was filled with it, they heard some footsteps.

"Here he comes!" Pesche told his brother. "Yeeargh!" He shouted as he drew Última from under his pants and sliced the blurry silhouette that was approaching them.

As Pesche cut through the body of the creature, he had a strange feeling. It was as if the being hadn't really died. Instead it had just dissolved itself.

"What the-? What is this feeling?"

The fog started dispersing after a short while, revealing the cause of such a sensation.

A small group of corpse white beings that looked like humans in shape but had no real shape was approaching them.

"Pesche! What are those?!" Dondochakka asked in fear.

"I don't know... But this can't be good!"

"Heheheh... Good luck with those. The 5th Duke shared a portion of him so I could study it and this is the result. I was able to create an army of Homunculi with him as the model, and let me tell you that, thatentity, is the most frustrating Duke you could come across. Unless you have attacks strong enough to instantly disintegrate an enemy, I doubt you're going anywhere..."

~~~~X~~~~

"Woah there are many more Demons than I thought there'd be!" Ichigo told Nel, slashing his way through the gray-skinned soldiers.

"They are no match for us though. We just have to be careful not to be caught off-guard"

"That's right" He replied, shooking his head to get his hair out of his eyes as it was covering them completely, which made her giggle a bit. "At least I don't have to worry about Ishida"

"That explosion was his doing?" She asked surprised.

"I'm sure, that light was definitely the power of a Quincy. Though that was one I've never seen. I guess he got a lot stronger as well"

"I never imagined humans could be so powerful. Maybe one of them would've been a better companion for Ichigo..." She thought with a saddened look.

"Is something the matter?"

"Uh? No! Nothing!" She denied.

"You looked a bit sad, but maybe it was my imagination" Ichigo told her a bit worried after killing the last Demon of the horde.

"Is that so? Maybe you just imagined it..." She said surprised as she thought: "No! I can't worry him in this situation. Get yourself together, Nelliel! You are strong, strong enough to protect him if he needs it!"

"If it's nothing then we can continue. Don't doubt to tell me if anything bothers you though" He finally replied.

"Of course. I know I can always count on you, Ichi" She gave him the smile he loved most.

"Good" He hugged her tenderly. "We are getting closer. Let's keep going!"

"Yes!" She cheerfully replied.

The two continued their run through the dunes to get to the Throne where Orihime was captive and Ulquiorra was waiting for them.

~~~~X~~~~

"Damn, these fuckers never get tired do they?" Hiyori said pissed as she cut through a horde of Demons.

"At first there didn't seem to be so many" Hachi added.

"There are many of them, but look, we are getting closer!" Lisa indicated.

"I'm getting tired of this as well, so why don't we finish this instantly?" Love said, putting on his mask.

Everyone agreed and did likewise.

"_CERO!__"_They all blasted the trademark attack of the Hollows.

The remaining creatures could only scream in agony as they were erased by the vulgar display of power.

"Let's go kick that Duke's ass!" Hiyori carelessly exclaimed.

The Vizards entered the 5th Palace, which looked a lot like a colosseum.

"Look at this place, it's enormous!" Hiyori said amazed.

"It is indeed. This type of Arena is perfect for fighting" Love agreed.

"Where is the Duke though?" Lisa asked.

A loud roar was heard right after she asked.

"It seems he's coming!" Hachi said in reply. "Everyone get ready!"

They all started wearing their masks again. Even though their transformation lasted for hours, if they used too much power they would go back to their normal state anyways, so they had to keep that in mind.

"Finally... A challenge!" The large muscular Demon of gray skin proudly showed his bicep with the VI tattooed as he jumped into the arena to face them. Strangely though, his arms and feet were being held by chains.

"Good, you decided to show yourself early to your death" Hiyori said in reply, not intimidated by the 3.5 meters tall Duke.

"Babble all you want, the only thing that matters in the end is strength. Raw power is the only thing that can decide fate!" The Oni replied with a monstrous voice as he punched his fist against his hand.

"Oi! Why are you chained?" Lisa asked curious.

"I restrained myself with this Demon Iron to give my opponents a handicap. I hate unfair fights, so unless you prove to be worthy opponents, I won't get free of these chains"

"Damn, this guy is nuts!" Love said.

"He is, but he must be tremendously strong to go to such extremes..." Hachi replied, a bit intimidated.

"Whatever. Let's just kill this brute quickly and move on!" Hiyori said as she charged at the Demon with her blade.

"That's the spirit!" The Oni complimented as he charged against Hiyori as well.

The other Vizards took tactical positions around him, ready to act and defeat the Demon quickly through a combinated attack as Hiyori distracted him.

Hachigen muttered an incantation as fast as he could to finish in: "Bakudou 99:Kin!" After he pronounced the words and made the sign with his hands, a spiritual fabric started tangling around the Demon, who fell to the ground and was pinned by iron shafts.

"Not a good day to chain yourself, eh?" Love told him, mocking his impetous decision. "Crush down,_Tengumaru!"_

The ex-captain released his Zanpakuto, revealing the large Kanabou and its pointy needles, that were as sharp as ever.

Hiyori, who had already released her katana, sliced the Demon on its face, cutting through his eyes.

"Smash,_Haguro Tonbo!"_ Lisa commanded to do herShikaiand pin the Duke to the ground.

"Now!" She indicated.

Love jumped to strike the Oni with greater force while he was still blinded and unable to move. He braced himself and threw a devastating hit on the body of the Demon.

Love's weapon even created a huge explosion as it came in contact with the creature, which didn't do anything to avoid the attack.

After the huge explosion, everyone looked at the Duke to see if they had accomplished it.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Hiyori said as she saw the result.

The Oni's back showed scratches and was slightly burnt, but aside from superficial damage, it showed no signs of having worked.

"Pfft... Is that all?" He laughed at them. "I always take the first blow of my enemies to see how strong they are, but this is just ridiculous. You can't even dream of defeating Yama-sama if that's the case. I might have the hardest skin among the Dukes, but even then, there is a Prince with an even sturdier body. Attacks of insects like you won't ever work!" As he said that, he broke the bindings Hachigen had casted upon him. "Even these chains are better at restraining me than your feeble incantation!"

"He broke the full incantation?!" The Kidou master couldn't believe it.

"Is this seriously the power of the 6th?" Lisa thought as she looked at the mighty Duke.

"The worst part is that a pair of you weaklings killed one of us a while ago... Inconceivable! That Takenawa should be ashamed of his weakness, but then again, given his origins... Not much could be expected. I, on the other hand, am a pure blooded Demon created from a golem of blood and Devil Iron. The Prince of Fire and Earth himself deposited one of his hearts inside me!"

As the Duke monologued, the Vizards looked at each other, deciding to go at full power.

"It's true. You are indeed strong, but I think it's too soon to preach about it. What if I told you we were also testing you? Let me tell you that you haven't seen a tenth of our real strength yet, so you better prepare yourself, for you are to meet your end!" Love declared as everyone wore their masks, ready to use more power.

"That's more like it... Give it your all! Don't contain even a bit of it!" The Demon howled excited.

* * *

**And thus ends the first fight, but new ones begin. The Oni certainly have a lot to offer and I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am, though I gotta admit, this excitement is nothing compared to the one I have just by imagining the final battles of this part.****What do I mean by that? You see, this fic has about 4 main parts. This mini-arc of Hueco Mundo would be the first, so brace yourself, cause there's a lot more coming.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zororark: _Excellent chapter! Loved this! This is getting insane though. The Oni are NO JOKE! But then again, they wouldn't be, seeing as they're the Guardians of Hell and all._**

**_So you haven't gotten CFYOW Neliel yet? I have her and even got a few extras to up her special ability (not trying to brag btw). I even finally managed to get Grimmjow while he was out! Sorry to hear about your luck though man..._**

**Reply: Very happy to see that you liked it. At 1:31 AM of the day after you wrote (if I'm not mistaken) I finally saw "We all have things to protect, that is all there is to it" on the black screen as my beloved Nelliel appeared! Brave Souls has never made me so frustrated yet so happy before. I also got Ulquiorra 3rd Anniversary afterwards, so my dream team of Lunar Ichigo, Ulquiorra 3rd and Nel CFYOW is now a reality. Now I must fulfill my main objective: Getting every 6 Star Nelliel in the game, of which I am missing 4: Resurrection (pink stars), Valentine's, Parasol and small Nel.**

**Mr Marston:_Just discovered this gem and I'm absolutely loving it! The interactions, romance and action are perfectly paced and balanced. Keep updating, I'm hooked! 10/10!_**

**Reply: You don't know how happy and motivated it makes me reading this. I'll keep doing my best to write a story that keeps meeting those standards, and if possible, surpass them!**

**See you all next time! Evhron out.**

**Glosary:**

**_Cuerpo del Titán: _****Titan's Body. Fullbring ability that allows Chad to create a Colossus with the materials that surround him. Its size does depend on his own Spiritual Pressure, but mostly on the amount of Reishi of the plain he's currently in.**

**_Heilig Kreuz: _Holy Cross, in german. Quincy power that allows Ishida to summon a giant cross (similar to the one Episode carries around in Monogatari, Kizu, to be precise).**

**_Reinigen: _Purify, in german as well. It commands the destruction of the _Heilig Kreuz_.**


	11. VI - Kotodamasphere

The great Demon fought the Vizards with nothing but his fists.

The fight overall, reminded everyone of the night they were hollowfied, as the Oni's attacks were like Kensei's when he was berzerk.

However, the difficulty of this battle, was the highest they had ever encountered. Even with their masks on, the Duke was a formidable enemy. In the intellectual department, he was not the brightest bulb, but when it came to fighting it was a completely different story.

He was not only strong, but a smart fighter as well. The Vizards felt that while he didn't formulate strategies, he was able to read their moves and lead the fight due to mere experience in the field. It was so vast that he even got to the extreme of using the chains as weapons if he got the chance, despite them being a handicap in the first place.

"I don't know why, but I get the feeling this guy has been fighting his whole life!" Hiyori told her friends after evading a barrage of punches.

"I feel the same way. We must end this quick if we don't want things to get complicated. He hasn't used his sword even once" Lisa replied.

"Woah!" Love dodged a charge, which was really dangerous considering the four pointy horns of the Demon. "I don't think a mere _Cer__o_ will finish this guy though..."

"There is no other way. We'll have to use at least our Shinigami powers to the maximum if we want to get results" Lisa said in reply.

"Hachi! Can you stop him with a complete Bakudou 99?!" Hiyori asked, though it sounded more like an order.

"Hmm... I could try using parts 1 and 2 together, but I'm going to need both time and an opening, and honestly... I'm not sure it's going to work either"

"Just do what you have to do. We'll make sure to fulfill those conditions" Lisa replied determined.

"Okay..." Hachi prepared himself, both in mind and body, to use the highest level Bakudou in all its might.

"What are you waiting, insects? Come at me so I can exterminate you!" The Oni shouted.

"Geez, you are a loud one... But not even in that, YOU WOULD BEAT ME, FUCKFACE!" Hiyori shouted back and charged a triple _Cero_.

From her mouth and her both hands, the blonde shot a very powerful red _Cero_ at the Duke, who tried blocking it with his coarse hands.

The Demon was surprised to see, that Hiyori's attack actually managed to damage his hands quite a bit.

"That actually hurt... Good! This means you _do_ have some power after all. I'll tell you what, show me what you're truly made of and I'll tell you both my name and the name of this beauty..." He said as he passed his fingers through his blade's handle.

"Now he seems to be enjoying it even more" Love said confused.

"Tch... We'll just have to show that bastard that this is no time to have fun!" Lisa said pissed as she rapidly rolled her weapon.

The trio continued attacking the Demon relentlessly, dealing him a couple hits in the process that actually did some damage, though this only made him more enthusiastic to keep fighting.

"C'mon, keep hurting me! No pain, no gain!" He said as he punched the floor of the colosseum to crack the whole surface in a devastating shockwave.

As Love evaded the attack, he noticed Hachi was almost done with the first incantation.

"Now!" He shouted.

The three Vizards charged their best _Cero _to distract the Duke. Of course, they knew this probably wouldn't have much of an effect on him, but it was enough to immobilize him for an instant.

"Bakudou 99: _Kin_!" Hachi said as he cast the same seal he had done before.

"What?! This shit again?" The Duke spat as he fell to the floor, wrapped by the black seal and the iron shafts.

"Lisa, only you can do it!" Hiyori shouted.

"I know... _Bankai_: _**Tonbo no kyouran hiko****u**"_

For the first time, the ex-lieutenant used her Bankai in battle. She had developed it previously during the years after their banishment, but it had never came down to the need to use it, until now.

Her Nodachi violently exploded with green Reiatsu, disappearing completely.

"Hey, what was that? Isn't a _Bankai _supposed to make you stronger?" The Demon mocked, thinking her weapon's release had failed.

Lisa smirked in reply. "You really think I would activate it if I bdcame weaker? Fool" She extended her hand towards the Demon. As she did so, a thousand smaller Nodachis appeared behind her and flew towards the Duke.

"I see..." He muttered as he saw the menace flying towards him.

"You seem calmer than I expected. Oh well, you'll find yourself in a world of pain soon enough. Their size might be smaller, but let me tell you, each one of these stings just as hard as my original _Haguro Tonbo_ stabbed"

The swarm of Nodachi stabbed the Demon in the back as he lay in the floor.

"Gah!" He roared in pain. "I can't believe it... It really hurts!"

"And you've seen nothing... **_Tonbo no saishuu hikou_**_"_

All the Nodachis, now impaled in the Duke's back, furiously exploded with destructive indigo Reiatsu.

"AARGHHHH!" The Demon screamed in pain.

"Hmhmhm... How do you like that?" Lisa asked retorically with a sadistic smile, though no one could see it as it was covered by her mask.

"Now, Hachi!" Hiyori shouted.

"Bakudou 99: **_Bankin_**" Hachigen pronounced as he finished chanting an awfully long incantation and slammed his fingers to the ground.

"_Shokyoku: Shiryuu..._"

White energy flowed through the cracked floor of the colosseum, and tangled around the Demon from head to toe.

"What the-?!" The Duke spat after being entirely covered, not believing that he was truly unable to move.

Following the _P__rologue_, came the stage of _Refrain._

_"Nikyoku: Hyakurensan!"_

Numerous metal bolts fell from the sky, impaling him throughout his large body, indicating the stage of _Refrain_.

"Scary..." Hiyori muttered as she saw the development of the highest level Bakudou in all its might.

To end it all, a colossal metal cube shadowed the colosseum, appearing right above them and falling down upon the impaled bolts at a frightening speed.

"_Shuukyoku: Bankin Taihou_!!!" Hachi exclaimed as he dropped the gigantic cube and covered his ears.

The slam it made probably echoed through the desert of Hueco Mundo, as the loudest metallic sound they had ever heard was produced by the Bakudou.

This display of events made this part worthy of being called: _Finale_.

The ears of the other Vizards were buzzing due to the loudness of the metal structures as they collided and the lack of a warning on Hachigen's part.

After a while with that feeling, Hiyori was the first to heal her ears. The Hollow mask seemed helped at that.

"Hey, Hachi! What was that all about?! You didn't mention that thing would make such a roar!" She complained angrily.

"I gotta agree with her on that" Love added, recovering as well.

"I'm really sorry, but there was no time even for that"

"Anyways... It looks like it worked somehow, though it made a real mess" Lisa concluded, looking at the grotesque amount of blood that was spread through the arena after the seal was finished.

"I wish I hadn't looked at that..." Hachi said, feeling his stomach whirling.

"Well... It looks like we could end it all before he could release his blade. Let's rest for a while and then move on to the next palace" Love sighed tired but feeling acvomplished after such a battle.

"Yeah" The rest agreed.

Before they could move another inch though, a tiny sound warned them that it was far from over.

"You're shitting me...!" Hiyori spat, not believing what was happening before her eyes.

The sound was a little crack on the cube. A crack that second by second, became longer and larger. It first covered a part, then a whole face of the cube, until the whole cube was filled with cracks.

The cubic metal structure was shaking and breaking apart as the fearsome Reiatsu of the 6th Duke was being released.

"It can't be...!" Hachi couldn't believe it either.

"Everyone, get back into position!" Lisa commanded, as she was the most level headed one.

Finally, the whole seal was broken by pure brute force as the Demon got back on his feet.

"Heheh... AHAHAHAHAHAHA! You managed to surprise _me_! I never imagined a sealing technique would cause me so much damage!" He spat blood as he spoke and was pulling a large piece of metal that seemed to be the piece of a bolt out of his body, letting even more primordial ooze out. "Actually, never in my life have I experienced so much pain! My body has never been so fucked up and yet... IT FEELS SO GOOD!"

"He's a lunatic. A sadist would be normal compared to him" Love thought to himself as he saw his reaction.

"I'll keep my promise, you earned it. I am the 6th Duke of Jigoku: Hoji is my name. But, who cares about that? The only thing you wanna hear is the name of my Onibuki, isn't it? Well, don't fret, cause here you will see it in all its might!"

Hoji got the blade out of the sheath and pierced his own heart with it.

"This is a privilege no one has ever had. Not even I know what lies beyond this point!" The Demon confessed he had never released his weapon until that moment. "Break free... _Belial!"_ He vomited blood as he unlocked the true potential of his Onibuki.

A vicious red aura emanated from Hoji's demonic body after he released the power of his sword.

The Reiatsu itself broke the chains of Devil Iron that were containing him by his own wishes like they were made of glass.

His body started petrificating itself, still with the blade embedded, creating an impressive yet terrifying statue of the Demon.

"What's going on?" Lisa wondered, not being able to make out the situation.

"I don't know. We'll have to wait and see" Love replied, letting out sweat and equally astonished, but keeping his composure as much as he could.

A couple seconds after, a blinding yellow light started cracking the statue.

Piece by piece, the rock shattered to uncover what was hidden inside.

Michelangelo used to believe every rock had a statue hidden inside, and it was the sculptor's job to uncover it. However, in this case, it was the statue that was hiding something much more incredible.

Finally, the whole rock body of the Demon was completely broken, revealing a specimen that left all the vizards with their mouths open.

"Is that... An Oni?!" Hachigen thought as he saw the being.

"What... What is the meaning of this?!" Lisa couldn't believe it either.

"This must be some kind of joke..." Hiyori said.

"Or else... It has a very good reason behind" Love completed.

In the end, the result was the same. The tremendous Demon that had been fighting them with pure brute strength was now in the air, with beautiful angelic wings spread in all their magnificent glory. He had blonde curly hair, a white beautiful face and orange eyes. His limbs were muscular, but with normal proportions in the end.

The angel descended to the ground and looked at his hands in confusion.

"Is this... Me?" He asked retorically, with a tender voice, completely different to the loud Demon's. "It's so strange... Like my mind is suddenly clear. I don't... I cannot comprehend how could I act the way I used to in the past"

"H-Hey..." Love called his attention. "Are you... The Duke?"

"Yes. I am indeed Hoji, the 6th Duke of Jigoku, but I don't feel like I'm the same I used to be... Everything seems... So different..." He digressed as he looked at the devastated arena.

"So... Are you our enemy or not?" Hiyori asked him confused.

"Hmm... I don't really think I can answer that. You are the ones that decide such thing. If you left this place, I wouldn't have any motive to do you any harm"

"But... You are not planning to let us advance either" Lisa replied.

"*sigh* I'm afraid not. I think, I understand why I am in such a form, and for that same reason I am able to clearly see the motive behind Yama-sama's actions. I don't feel any excitement or thirst for violence anymore, but I _will_ have to fight you if you do anything that threatens this plan or our existence"

"I... I'd like to make a request... Or more precisely, to answer a question. Why are the Oni doing this?" Hachi tried reasoning with him.

"It's funny hearing that" Hoji laughed a bit.

"Huh?"

"Sorry. It's just, that before this moment, I never really knew why we did this. I was blind and deaf to anything that wasn't a fight. Now however... It all comes together, and it makes sense. I think I mentioned that my heart is one of the seven hearts of Kachiki-sama. For that same reason, my memories are shared with those of my master, allowing me to reply to your question" Hoji explained, as his mind drifted into visions of the past. A past that didn't belong to him, but that he could view thanks to his nexus to the original owner of the heart he possessed.

"Yama-sama, was the first old God to be banished from Takemagahara, the highest place in existence, where only Gods can rest. However, many angels, the guardians of these Gods, questioned their position after Yama-sama's descent.

One of those angels was my creator, mentor and master, Kachiki-sama, who used to be the Archangel of fire and earth. He defied Amaterasu for her decision and suffered the consequences along with the Archangel of water and the Archangel of wind.

After they fell into the nothingness of Jigoku, Yama-sama, gave these angels a fraction of his power. The three original Onibuki were made to seal this gigantic power in a practical way, but it also altered the bodies of the fallen Archangels when that nexus was created, giving origin to the first mixed Oni"

"Mixed?" Lisa asked.

"Most Oni aren't pure. They come from other races. Humans, Shinigami, Hollows, Angels... They can all become Demons if Yama-sama gives them the power and they have the will to do so. To tell the truth... The power of an Oni is not determined by its purity, though many Oni believe it is. Actually, most Lesser-demons and foot soldiers are pureblood Oni. This happens because their spirit is weak. Since they don't know a way of life different from the one in Jigoku, they don't have a strong motivation in comparison to those that have experienced agony and misery in a previous mortal life"

"But wait. What does this all have to do with your decision to invade Hueco Mundo?" Love asked.

"I'm sorry, but I can't give you the exact reason, cause that would be considered treason. What I can tell you is that Hueco Mundo hides something that interests Yama-sama"

"I see. And you are all willing to die for this man?" Lisa asked.

"I think man falls short when describing a being as high as Yama-sama, but answering your question... If he succeeds, we would be able to live in Takemagahara. It sounds like an impossible dream, I know, but without it, we would have never come to life in the first place. We owe a lot to Yama-sama, if not everything. That sole reason is enough for us to blindly follow him and try to fulfill his wishes with all of our being"

"I understand..." Love said in a sensible way.

"What?!" Hiyori couldn't believe she heard that.

"However, our objective is getting this place back for the Hollows so they don't wreak havoc in the Human World. For that reason, I guess we have no other choice than to fight, although I really enjoyed talking to you now, Hoji" The Ex-Captain concluded with a face of disappointment.

"I imagined you would say something like that, and I don't judge you. In fact, I don't feel any hate towards you at all. You just have an opposite objective and I understand it. I must do everything I can in order to stop you though. I hope you can forgive me" He said as he pulled his released blade from the ground.

Belial was a very beautiful claymore with a golden handle displaying two angelic wings and a long broad edge that shined as bright as the sun.

"Don't worry, we don't have dying in our plans anyway. You're gonna give it your all, and so will we. That's all..." Lisa added.

"Very well then. If I shall die protecting my race, so be it" Hoji concluded raising Belial at them and spreading his white feathered wings.

~~~~X~~~~

"We won't let you advance!" Pesche shouted at Anri, though the two Arrancar were still surrounded by the weird humanoid beings.

The Duke simply hummed a melody as he continued drilling through the gates thanks to his invention, not giving any sort of attention to his enemies.

"That Demon...!" Pesche felt angered by his attitude.

"H-Hey Pesche, this one's head is growing larger..." Dondochakla said worried as one of the clones got near him.

"Throw him away!" He noticed it was something bad.

"Aaaaahhhhh!" The Arrancar shouted as he grabbed the being with both hands and threw him as far as he could.

Indeed, the being's head exploded and threw some kind of acid all over the place. Pesche noticed how the acid melted everything it touched, including the floor, but more importantly, one of the clones had been covered by it as well. Much to his surprise, the entity dissolved itself and died, not like the ones that changed their form to attack again, it truly disintegrated.

"That's it!" He thought. "Dondochakka, get away from here! I know a way to finish them, but I need you to be safe or else you could get caught in the attack!"

"O-Okay!" Dondochakka ran to safety, far behind his brother.

Pesche took a deep breath and prepared himself.

"Time to see if this works..." He thought as he remembered the days he passed in the Dangai improving this ability.

The homunculi started walking towards him menacely, but that was the move he was waiting for.

"**_Acid Slick_**_!"_ He exclaimed with a pose, before spitting an especially dangerous kind of slick at the enemies.

The corrosive green fluid fell on top of them like a moonsoon of acid rain, dissolving the creatures slowly and, possibly, painfully as he didn't know if those things were able to feel pain.

"Oh... Amazing, Pesche!" Dondochakka clapped his hands as he joined his brother again.

"Thank you, thank you" He made a reverence and threw kisses at a non existent audience and of course, to you, the reader.

"Hmm... Interesting. I must admit that I didn't expect you to be able to get rid of them so easily" Anri confessed.

"And it's only beginning. Time for you and yohr machine to meet the same fate" He replied as he shot another round of acid fluid at the Demon.

Anri however, smiled as he took his lab coat off and used it as protection. The giant drill didn't seem affected by it either.

"H-How!?" Pesche couldn't believe it.

"Tsk... You thought my machines wouldn't be resistant to corrosives? How rude..." The Demon seemed insulted.

"N-No matter! If we can't destroy it with my _Acid Slick,_ Dondochakka will take care of it"

"W-What?! What can I possibly do?" His brother asked confused.

"You know! That thing with your body!"

"Ahh... What was that?" He still didn't remember.

"Oh, for God's sake..." Pesche made a facepalm. "Just climb that thing and harden your body as much as you can!"

"Ah! That was it! That was it! Now I remember..."

"Now do it!"

"Hmph! And you think I will simply let you ruin my machine? Just when I'm a couple doors from reaching my destination?" Anri asked with an ironic tone.

"We never expected you to let us. We'll just do it!" He replied as defying as he could.

"Go ahead and try..." Ao got his blade out of the sheath, Pesche noticed that it was just a handle. "I might not be a fighter, but I can definitely stop a pair of nobodies like yourselves" From the handle a red light was emitted. It was a lightsaber.

"Interesting... Let's see who's the nobody after the result of this battle... _Última__"_ Pesche got his sword out as well and used a longer form than usual.

"Bring it on, Arrancar!"

The two started clashing violently with their lightsabers, resembling an especially famous saga.

Dondochakka, in the meantime, ran towards the yellow drill that was carving the golden gateway.

Anri, desperate because of the situation he was put in, tried his best to move his battle towards Dondochakka, and thus stop the other Arrancar from doing anything to his drill.

Pesche didn't let him do as he wished though. His extensive training had been rewarding. Nelliel herself trained with him from time to time to improve his swordsmanship, and it showed. Pesche's abilities with his sword surpassed those of the Duke's.

"You're not going anywhere" Pesche told his rival as he blocked his path.

"Damn you...!" Ao cursed, incapable of defeating Pesche and passing through.

"Go, Dondochakka, you're almost there!" He cheered for him.

"YEEEAAARRRGGHHH!" His brother screamed as he ran and jumped over the machine. Once on top, he sat down crossing his legs and placing his hands in a prayer like position.

"_Peso Pesado!" _He said as his body hardened beyond any known Hierro and turned into some kind of black metal.

The machine below him started shaking as soon as this happened, unable to withstand the immeasurable weight of the Arrancar in that state. In a matter of seconds, the drill was crushed into scraps and bolts.

"No! My machine!" Anri shouted with a mixture of despair and rage.

"Heh! Well deserved!" Pesche laughed.

The Demon threw a low kick at him in his desperation. Pesche didn't expect it and was tossed a couple meters back.

"Hey, that's not fair!" He protested.

"You cursed Hollows! You will regret this!" He said as he got a syringe filled with a dubious green fluid out of his lab coat.

"Wait. What is that...? What are you doing?"

"Playtime's over!" The Demon said as he injected the liquid in his right arm's vein.

A couple seconds later, his muscles grew to a monstrous size, changing his thin tall body into a gruesome giant's.

"Uh-oh..." Pesche muttered.

"Hey Pesche, how did I do?" His brother asked as he returned to his normal form and exited the scraps of the machine.

"G-Great! You did an awesome job! Unfortunately... We have no time to celebrate..." He replied, pointing at the grotesquely buff Demon that was in front of them.

"W-What happened to him?!"

"It seems he injected some kind of power boosting drug on himself. Whatever it is... IT'S NOT GOOD!"

Anri looked at the pair of Arrancar viciously and then leaped towards them. In his frenzy, he punched the two and sent them flying. Despite the brutal strength he aquired, Dondochakka received little damage and Pesche managed to block the punch with his blade.

"Weaklings..." Ao said with a deeper, fearsome voice after dispatching them.

The Duke went to the golden gate himself and with a devastating double punch, he broke it with little effort.

"I hate having to do physical work myself, but I guess there was no other choice" He spat as he advanced towards the last pair of gates blocking the path.

"No, Pesche! We have to stop him!" Dondochakka said.

"I know... But his power is at another level currently. What could we do?"

"I don't know... But we will fail if he gets whatever lies ahead!"

"Tch... We are running out of options. I didn't want to do this if he didn't release his sword, but we can't afford to let him advance any further"

"You mean... It's time?"

"Yeah. We can't fail Nel-sama"

"I understand..." Dondochakka took a deep breath. "I'm ready"

~~~~X~~~~

Hoji raised his hand and blasted a blazing fire ball at the rooftop of Las Noches to use the sky as the battlefield.

"Let us prove the strength of our wills over this dark eternal night" He said as he flew above the destroyed rooftop.

"Of course. We're ready" Love agreed as he got even along with the rest of the Vizards. "And you... You are already dead" He declared as he pointed his finger while striking a familiar pose. "_Bankai:** Kaji no handan**"_

Tengumaru caught fire and three blazing orbs that looked like small suns appeared on Love's back.

The air's temperature rose severely, possibly as much as when Yamamoto released his Zanpakuto, thanks to the Vizard's intense training.

The others looked in amazement as their friend used his full potential. It was clear that Love was the strongest of the four using his Shinigami powers at least, reminding them all that he was once a Captain.

Lisa had to wait to recover the true form of her Zanpakuto, so she just used her normal blade's form and used her Hollow powers to attack Hoji from a different side.

Hiyori, still with her _Shikai_, noticed the strategy and decided to attack from a different flank, alternating between slashes and _Cero_.

Finally, Hachigen covered the last remaining side, encasing the angelic Demon in a four sided ambush. He used all his remaining strength to use all kinds of Hadou, from level 30 to 89, in order to do some damage, as well as create barriers around Lisa and Hiyori to protect them from any unexpected attack while they were close to the enemy.

Hoji, in spite of his new level of power, was surprised to see that the Vizards managed to give him quite some trouble.

When he was slashing in circles with his claymore, either Hiyori or Lisa would attack him from above or even below.

Love's sun-like orbs could shoot beams of scorching energy, more powerful than a normal _Cero_. The lasers managed to endanger Hoji's wings as he soared through the sky, due to their high speed and destructive potential.

"You are all incredibly powerful... I can feel the strength of your resolve through your attacks. However, I cannot be less..." Hoji said as he raised his two-handed sword. "**_Claihm-Solais_**_!"_

Belial's blade grew to a ridiculous size, even for a Claymore. The Vizards estimated that it was now of about 20 meters.

For the first time in the battle, and possibly in his life, Hoji was forced to use both hands to control his Onibuki's full strength.

With a single slash, he created am expansive wave of Reiatsu that forced the Vizards to defend with a powerful _Cero_, or in Love's case, a beam from his three suns.

"What is this power?!" He thought in disbelief.

The battle from this point on was in favor of the Duke. Despite his attacks being slower, the terrible destructive force of each swing was so dangerous that the Vizards couldn't risk getting closer to attack.

They knew that a single swing of Belial would simply obliterate them if they received it fully, so they were obligated to take distance.

Hachigen had been doing a couple barriers while Hoji was busy, though.

"_**Shijuu no saimon**!"_ He pronounced the spell as the three Joumon spells encased Hoji to buy them some time, cause he was sure the Demon would be able to break it.

With that opportunity, the Vizards decided to regroup in order to create a new strategy.

"Dammit!" Lisa cursed due to their disadvantage.

"If just one of us could get near him..." Love muttered.

"...We would have a chance to defeat him with one devastating attack" Hachi completed.

Hiyori bit her lip with her overgrown fang as she thought of a possible solution.

"Maybe... Just maybe. I could give you an opportunity" She started explaining.

"What are you planning to do?" Lisa asked her worried.

"I know it's not perfect, and you'll probably have to stop me afterwards... But if I turn into full Hollow, I would be able to regenerate even after receiving one of those slashes"

"Are you sure your body will be able to withstand it?" Hachigen was worried as well.

"I can't promise anything. But we can't let this go on. This Demon has never fought in that form and yet he's been able to learn to use and control his powers as the battle progressed. It's too dangerous if we give him more time to improve his abilities" She replied bitterly.

"Hiyori's right. There is no other choice. We have to brace ourselves to finish him in one swing and put her to sleep if she goes berzerk afterwards"

"R-Right..." Lisa stuttered, worried about her friend, but understanding the difficult situation.

"Are you guys ready?" Hiyori asked them.

"Yes" The three agreed, nodding their heads.

"Let's do this!" She exclaimed as she concentrated on raising her Hollow Reiatsu to a level that surpassed her Shinigami powers.

The mask started extending an armor throughout her body, transforming her into some kind of Vasto Lorde.

Right on cue, Hoji destroyed the prism barrier that was containing him with pure power from his sword.

Wasting no time, Hiyori charged at Hoji with a monstrous _Sonido_, one that made it look like she was teleporting to the Duke's side.

As soon as she arrived, Hoji swinged Belial in her direction. She managed to evade part of the slash, which cut one of her arms.

She screamed in pain as she striked the Demon with her blade and wounded him in the chest before falling to the sand because of the damage.

An instant later, Hoji was surrounded by the other three Vizards who used their strongest technique possible in a desperate attempt to finish the Duke's life once and for all.

"_Cero_!" Lisa charged the red beam while holding her blade from the distance.

"Hadou 88: _Hiryuu Gekizoku Shinten Raihou!" _Hachi attacked with the enormous blast of Reiatsu only done by Kidou masters.

"**_Taiyou no hyouketsu_**_!" _Love's three suns merged together, encasing the Duke and exploding in a gigantic blaze afterwards.

Hoji felt as his body was being completely obliterated by the three attacks. In his last moments, he smiled though.

"So this is the strength of your will... I'm glad I could experience it" He thought, remembering an almost forgotten memory.

_Hoji and Kachiki had just finished sparring. The Prince had completely overpowered the Duke, who was in a world of pain, but at the same time, of joy._

_"One day... I'll beat you Kachiki-sama!" He told his master._

_"HAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed at his pupil's declaration. "Before dreaming about the impossible, you should focus on becoming strong, Hoji"_

_"But, Kachiki-sama... What is the key to becoming powerful? I fight and fight endlessly, but I'm nowhere near as strong as you... What is the secret?" Hoji asked, impatient to get an answer._

_"You need motive. A will to fight. Something that surpasses your very being. Once you find that, you'll see that power will just flourish inside you"_

_"Will... I WILL find it! And once I do, I'll challenge you again, Kachiki-sama!"_

_"I'll be waiting for that day"_

"It's too bad that such a day will never come... But at least I found my motive. Dying for you... Kachiki-sama" He thought in his final moment.

Once the power from the attacks disappeared, no trace was left of the 6th Duke.

"*pant* *pant* Where's Hiyori?!" Love asked.

"Down there! She looks... Unconscious though" Lisa observed.

Hachi went down to check on her.

The armor of Vasto Lorde was breaking apart along with her mask. She had mamaged to regenerate her arm in time, thankfully.

"She's fine! A little rest and she'll be back on her feet!" He told the others.

"Good. Phew... That guy sure was another level of strong" Love said as the two came down as well.

"I still can't believe that we actually did it" Lisa agreed. "It took our full strength though, and this was just the 6th!"

"I hope the others are alright..." Hachi said worried as he healed Hiyori a bit, although Kaidou was not his forte.

"After this battle, we can't simply hope that that's the case. As soon as Hiyori recovers, we should go help the others instead. We can leave the 5th Duke for later"

The other two nodded.

~~~~X~~~~

"Your friends became really strong. None of them is dead, and yet the 6th Duke is history" Ulquiorra mentioned Orihime as he went back to the TV-like room. "But I guess you already knew" He pointed out, as she had been watching.

"I am surprised that they got so powerful, but on the other hand, I know that's just the way they are. They would never leave anything to chance. I'm sure that they trained a lot to get to this point, but... The sheer power they aquired is not what makes them so strong" She explained.

Ulquiorra looked at her in confusion.

"You mean... The reason they won is not due to their superiority?"

"During the fight, Cifer-kun, you could see that the Duke always had the upper hand in terms of power and ability. However, the Vizards know each other so well, that they were able to defeat him using strategies that you wouldn't be able to carry out if you didn't trust the others blindly"

"Then... Are you saying they won thanks to the connection of their hearts?"

"Yes. I'm sure that they all feel unbreakable when fighting with friends by their side..." She remembered all the times Ichigo protected her as she said that, making a few tears fall down her beautiful cheeks.

The Espada caught one of her tears and then caressed her face.

"Now... Why are you crying?" He asked with a sense of worry, unknown to him until that very moment.

"Cifer-kun... I won't deny that there is pain and sadness when you share your heart as well" She confessed with a sad smile and watery eyes. "But I want you to understand, that such things are not a weakness. If there is something that can make you stronger... That is love. All the pain we share... Only gives you more determimation to keep going. That is something I learned through all this time along with my friends, and mainly, something Kurosaki-kun taught me"

"Are you... Are you trying to convince me not to kill him, Inoue?" He asked a bit defying.

"No" She closed her eyes as she denied. "I'm trying to tell you that you simply won't be able to kill him. Kurosaki-kun could never die for as long as he has friends by his side. I hope... I really hope you can understand what I'm saying"

Ulquiorra simply looked at her with amazement and didn't say another word. He left the room pensive and decided to analize her words more thoroughly.

Orihime laid on the couch again as the screen's view automatically changed to a magnificent hallway with a golden gate and three individuals fighting for their lives.

"Those are...!" She remembered the two Arrancar from Urahara's shop.

~~~~X~~~~

**Sorry for the delay, but it wasn't easy writing this chapter (in spite of its shorter length). Of course, I was also busy playing Brave Souls to summon 25 sec. Kurohitsugi Aizen lol. I already have Bankai Yamamoto though, so I'm happy enough.**

**I also would like to mention that the names of some Demons are directly taken or linked to songs and artists from a Japanese guitarists' album called... Takenawa Intrigue, haha. I'm mentioning this cause each song fits its Demon. In the case of Hoji, if you listen to Kotodama Sphere, you'll see what I'm talking about.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Whoohoo! Great chapter! Things are getting mighty interesting! Keep up the good work! Glad you were able to get CFYOW Neliel! Although now I'M wishing I had 3rd Anniversary Ulquiorra! Aw well. 4th Anniversary Fully-Hollowified Ichigo is a good enough pull! For now..._**

**_But I digress._**

**_Keep up the great work! Although I was wondering...who could Nel have been thinking of...?_**

**Reply: Happy to hear that. I was also able to get Final Getsuga Ichigo about a day before those summons ended. I'll have to wait 'til next year for fully hollowfied Ichigo 4th Anniversary.**

**Answering the doubt you had from last chapter , she just thought that Chad or Ishida could have been a better company to him after increasing their powers so much. It was just for a moment, but she felt weaker in comparison due to her limitations, but worry not, she feels determined to give it her all for Ichigo, just you wait and see!**

**Glossary:**

**_Peso Pesado: _Heavy weight**

**_Tonbo no kyouran hikou_: ****Frenzy flight of the dragonflies****.**

**_Tonbo no saishuu hikou_: Final flight of the dragonfly**.

**_Kaji no handan_****_: _****Judgement of fire.**

**_Claihm-Solais* _****:** **I borrowed this from the Castlevania series since it's so cool!**

**_Taiyou no hyouketsu_****_: _Sun's verdict.**


	12. VIII - Ainomis

"Prepare yourself, Demon!" Pesche pointed his Zanpakuto's handle as he made the laser blade disappear. "I have never fought anyone with my sword's true power, neither with its true name before..." He threw the handle in the air and made it roll quickly.

Anri's eyes were fixated in the handle as it came rolling down, back to Pesche's hands.

The Arrancar grabbed it again and swinged it towards the Oni.

As soon as he did this, a long aquamarine blade that looked just like a long scimitar came out of the handle.

"Though I love using the name _Última_, I must admit that it is just something I made up to sound cooler. I just channelled my Reishi through the handle and became good at it. You will be the first to witness its true power"

"I... Don't like fighting. Our dear master and sister, never liked violence either..." Dondochakka added. "But for our sake, she fought countless times and sacrificed a lot. She betrayed her true wishes her whole life just to protect those she loves. But no more of that. Now it's time for us to fight on our own, and we won't lose..." Dondochakka said determined and got his Kanabou out of his mouth.

"Pfft... Like I care" Ao laughed at them. "Your archaic weapons can't do anything against the power of science!"

"You don't seem to understand by words, so we'll have to show you with actions..." Pesche replied as he appeared right in front of Anri and swinged his scimitar.

"What?!" The Demon was barely able to evade the attack, and actually bled a little from the cut that the Arrancar managed to inflict upon him.

"I told you before... We weren't giving it our all"

"Nghh... You pesky Hollows! I'll make sure to punish you for that attitude. If there is something I hate with my guts, is people who think they're better than me!" He shouted as he got hold of a small piece of metal that he instantly turned into an electrifying rod by pressing a button. "Come at me! If you dare..."

Pesche and Dondochakka were not intimidated by the Duke's threat and advanced towards their enemy with no doubt in their hearts.

"Come forth, Bawabawa!" Dondochakka summoned the attack beast from a _Garganta-_like fissure created in the space by his Zanpakutou.

The Hollow monster was now bigger than it used to be. They were lucky that the hallway was very tall and full of space.

"Let's go!" Pesche said as he jumped yowards Anri, swinging his sword left and right to both block and attack.

"You seem quite confident, for a mere Fracción!" The Duke spat as he continued clashing with Pesche.

The Arrancar laughed at his intent of provocation. "You think that bothers me, or my brother? Hilarious. I'm sorry to be the one inform you that we would gladly die as Fracción of Nel-sama!" As he said that, a hidden strength he hadn't revealed before came to light as he tossed away the electrifying metal rod Anri was using.

"Way to go, Pesche! Bawabawa!" Dondochakka indicated the attack beast.

Bawabawa immobilized the Duke and started crushing him with its body wrapped around the Demon's.

"Fuck!" He swore as he felt his whole body aching. A cold sweat invaded him as he tried to find a way out of the hopeless situation.

The Demon was still physically weaker than his rivals, so he was unable to overpower them through conventional means. To add more shame to his disgrace, even the Hollow beast seemed to mock his miserable state by restricting his movement and causing him to go desperate.

Anri was a Demon that despite his high intelligence, was very short tempered. If someone said anything that triggered his anger, he would become blinded by rage and act irrationally.

But this didn't make him an easier opponent, not with the drug in use at the very least.

His bad mood seemed to trigger a chemical reaction inside his body that made his muscles become even bigger.

In a way, this enemy was very similar to Yammy, whose rage made his _Resurrección_ grow stronger and stronger, though this occurred due to biological reasons.

Anri started raising his Reiatsu as he pushed his muscles beyond their limit to overpower Bawabawa.

"HhhhrraaaaaAAAAGGGHHH!" The Duke shouted as he escaped the Hollow's attack and grabbed it by the tail. "I won't be defeated by such a lowly creature! I simply won't allow it!"

He threw Bawabawa against a wall, dealing the creature massive damage which forced it to faint as it bled out.

"No! Bawabawa!" Dondochakka screamed, almost as if he could feel the same pain of his beast.

"There's no time to waste, Dondochakka! We have to finish him now!"

Dondochakka gave Pesche a look of fear at first. but his sight became more determined a second later.

"Right. Let's do _that_. We have to finish him once and for all"

Dondochakka opened his mouth and started charging a giant yellow _Cero_.

Pesche jumped on top of his hard head and charged a big purple _Cero_ that started merging with his brother's.

As the two attacks became one, a sphere of tremendous power was formed. This was the final form of...

"_Cero Sincrético!"_ The two exclaimed as they blasted the attack towards the Demon.

Anri couldn't even see the beam as it came towards him, he jusnt instinctively got his _Onibu__ki_ out of the sheath to protect himself as much as possible.

Despite his efforts, the Arrancars' power overwhelmed his basic defensive position, dealing him great damage.

"F-Fuck!!!" He shouted as his body was burned by the powerful laser. "I can't... Die here... This can't... Be the end!" Anri spat as he held to his life as tightly as he could. "After all I went through... After everything I have done... I simply can't accept it!"

Through his mind raced not only his memories as a Demon, but most importantly, the memory of his past life.

_"A-Anri-sama... The prisoners you wanted are ready for experimentation" A soldier told him._

_"Perfect. How many are there?" Anri was taking notes about a previous experiment on a notebook he used as an archetype for his final thesis._

_"We captured twenty three in total. Seven were women, ten were men and the six remaining are small children"_

_"Did the doctor weight and measure them?"_

_"Yes. Here are the medical records" The soldier gave him a small pile of sheets._

_"Excellent. I'll check them all after I finish with this work. Just wait for further instructions"_

_"Yes, Anri-sama" The soldier made a small reverence and disappeared._

_Anri was known as the greatest human experiments researcher to ever exist. This reputation was earned due to his overly intensive methods along with his perfectly cold attitude towards the subjects. He truly was a perfect investigator for the likes of Squad 731._

_He was named as the one in charge of the experiments under the label of "extreme conditions". This meant he conducted research on things such as: How much radiation can a human being take before death? How much heat can a human body withstand before dying from a heat stroke under normal health conditions? How much cold can a human body endure... Etc, etc._

_He conducted these experiments on Chinese subjects of both genders, different height, weight and age. The more complete the data, the better for Anri._

_Never in his life had he felt contempt for the Chinese race, contrary to most of the squad's members. He only did this because he was madly in love with science._

_The perfection of scientific hypothesis, research and experimenting methods had always fascinated him, so the creation of this squad was a golden opportunity for him as well as for other people like him._ _However, no other researcher in the squad had his cold personality. Only he was able to carry out the barbaric processes meant for experimentation with a serene attitude and obtain perfect data._

_Anri's discoveries were very interesting to say the least, but he was never satisfied with his research. He understood that there wasn't a true perfection to be achieved by human beings, but yet he strived to get as close as possible to this perfection.__He never believed in the supernatural. Everything needed to have a scientific explanation behind, and Anri's greatest objective was to explain all mysteries science wasn't able to explain yet._

_In order to fulfill this ambition, Anri worked relentlessly day after day in Squad 731, but it all came to an end once World War II was lost by the Japanese Empire, amd judgement was brought upon many Japanese investigators in the facility._

_In spite of this, United States forgave many of these researchers as long as they gave their government all the data they had obtained during their work, as well as work with them on future projects._

_Anri however, despite following these orders, was ultimately damned to the death penalty because of his atrocious crimes against humanity. The Japanese Empire decided to deliver him to the Americans. No one could cover up such terrible investigations, so they decided to erase him from existence in order to escape any problems this could give them in the future._

_His laboratory was closed. His research was stolen. His name was erased. And finally... His life was taken._

_With a straight face, he was put on an electric chair and executed in American ground. His only regret, was that he didn't die for any research purposes and neither was his corpse used for science._

_He didn't curse the human race for this decision even once however, because for him, they had always been inferior beings. Uncultured apes, unable to understand his investigation or intellect. Their only value was as research subjects, or so Anri believed._

_Once he died, he thought he would disappear forever. It was impossible to believe that a thing like Hell or Heaven existed, but his behaviour earned him an answer he never thought could be real._

_"W-What? What is this place?" He asked in shock as he opened his eyes in the first circle of Jigoku, along other souls waiting to face judgement and being sent to one of the lower levels._

_"Anri Ishii. You come with me" Kurokage replied and started walking.__He was unable to process what his sight told him, but complied silently. He merely dedicated observe the place as Kurokage guided him through the depths of Hell._

_Once they were in the ice cold ninth circle, everything was clear to him. Even though he didn't believe in religion, he knew a bit about it. He found hilarious that some people, actually believed such a place as Hell existed, but now he wasn't laughing anymore._

_"Where are you taking me?"_

_"Wait and see. We are not far from our destination anyways" Kurokage replied._

_Once they had reached the Throne Room, he could get an idea of what was occurring._

_"Hello, Anri" Yama greeted him._

_The king of Jigoku __clarified his new condition and the reason he summoned him to his presence. He thought that there was no one better suited to be his personal investigator. He knew that he would need technology and a brilliant mind in order to carry out his plan, so he created a laboratory inside Jigoku and dexided to put Anri in charge, but only if he complied to become one of his Dukes of course._

_"I accept. As long as I can work for science, I will do anything at any cost" He replied._

_"It's settled then" Yama said in reply as he pointed his sceptre at Anri._

Remembering that, made him realize his most inner motivation. He forgot completely about his physical pain as his mind became strangely clear. It was as if his thoughts started occupying the whole space of the room where he was fighting. There was no limit anymore.

"The day is drawing near, when all of mankind will bow to a new God. A God known as knowledge, that will abolish the archaic belief systems designed for those who fear their own mortality. Science is on the verge of debunking the preposterous concepts of mythological superstitions, and enlightening the world to a new age of self-empowerment. An age of prosperity..."

"What?" Dondochakka muttered confused.

"He seems to have all screws loose already" Pesche replied.

But Anri continued regardless of them:

"An age of universal advancement and understanding.

An age in which The Faceless will have to say: **We told you so**"

As soon as he finished that speech, he slowly started carving the Onibuki inside his head. It was a dangerous process, as a small mistake would mean an instant death, but this was the requisite to obtain a higher power in his case, and he was willing to take the risk. Just before the sword entered his brain, he said:

"Hail Science... _Belphegor__"_

After that, he pushed the blade deep into his head, letting a disgusting black fluid out as he did so.

"Is that... Blood?" Pesche thought. "Black blood?"

Anri's body started melting in strange way, it was as if his skin was becoming some kind of goo of the same blueish gray color. His horns fell to the ground and turned into dust. Finally, the head of the being grew and became truly oval shaped, with big black eyes like an alien's and lacking a nose. With that final change, his gooeish state dried itself, leaving the creature in that alien like form, though Pesche and Dondochakka had never seemed something similar to it before. The sword that was embedded on his head, became a golden ornament that looked like an extraterrestrial crown.

"So this is the true form of human evolution..." He monologued as he looked and touched his body. "I finally uncovered one of the biggest mysteries in the hystory of humanity. It is a shame that I couldn't somehow estimate how long will it take the human race to become a being like this... Who knows? Maybe not all humans are born to evolve into this being..." He was digressing about things neither of the two Arrancar could make sense of, but they were decided to finish the fight regardless.

"Dondochakka..." Pesche called his brother's attention.

"Yes" He knew what that meant.

The two charged at the Demon in order to finish him for good before he could use any troublesome abilities.

"What a nuisance..." Anri said as he extended his hand, which had long thin fingers.

In it, pieces of metal quickly gathered to reform a lightsaber's handle. With his Onibuki and a lightsaber in hand, now he could defend against the two brothers' attacks.

"Impressive... Not only did your appearance change, but your strength is on a whole other level!" Pesche said as he realized that he couldn't lower Anri's saber like before.

"Does such a mundane change impress you that much? What you should be truly aware of is not my new physical prowess..." Anri replied as he pushed both Arrancar away. "...But my intrinsic ability to shape any form of technology I want just by having the materials and connecting the dots"

He pointed his hand at the scraps of the drill that still remained and started shaping a new machine.

A snake-like mechaniloid with red eyes was formed.

"Attack" Anri commanded.

The snake went straight for them with a loud and fearsome mechanic screech.

"AAAHHHH!" Dondochakka cowered in fear.

"That thing truly is scary..." Pesche commented.

As the snake got to them, he swinged his Zanpakuto multiple times until the machine was history.

"But it is not enough to defeat us, Dondochakka. Believe more in your abilities. We are Nel-sama's Fracción, we cannot be afraid of these cheap tricks!"

"Y-You... Are right, Pesche" Dondochakka replied.

"Hmph, so that was too easy for you?" Anri asked retorically. "It's a good thing that I always keep tons of materials in these capsules then" He replied as he got hold of a handful of small round metal capsules that were inside the remains of his lab coat.

He threw them to the ground, and as soon as they touched the floor, a mountain of miscellaneous metal pieces appeared.

"_Miles of Machines_" Anri said as he commanded the pile to transform into a gigantic army of mechaniloids, commanded by a mechanic chimera of dragons that would be worthy of being mistaken for the card monster "_Cyber Valley"_.

"What... Is this...?!" Pesche couldn't believe the sight.

It was impossible to simply pass through such army. Just the sight was intimidating, but the true strength of these machines remained a mystery. The two Arrancar had to be cautious, or else, face a terrible fate.

"_Iconoclast_, destroy the remaining gates"

A beeping sound was heard as a reply from the mecha-chimera as it turned around to follow the command.

"No!" Dondochakka exclaimed as he noticed they were failing.

"Dammit!" Pesche cursed. "We need to somehow get through these piles of junk. Dondochakka, do you have any beast that can help us with this task?"

"No. Not one in particular at least... But, I can try out something"

"Amaze me then!"

"Keep your ground... _Estatua_!" He said as he ate his Kanabou once again.

Dondochakka's body started to inflate and harden beyond his known limit. His face became a mask of three faces, a Tiki-like face on the left, an egyptian pharaoh face on the right and a Moai statue's face on the center, though each one had his big yellow eyes.

His spots disappeared and turned into archaic drawings that seemed to belong to an unknown civilization.

"**_PUERTA CEREMONIAL_**_"_ The hard-faced Arrancar opened his mouth and vomited a black liquid that acted as a giant dark vortex.

Out of the portal, a horde of only the biggest Hollows came out. They were all Menos, but it was clear that each of them was the prime of their species.

"Dondochakka is barely able to move in this form" Pesche thought. "His almost absolute lack of speed is balanced with a practically indestructible body, but I can't rely on that solely"

From Dondochakka's three mouths, a yellow _Cero_ was charged and blasted powerfully at the machines that were surrounding them.

Many of them were decimated by this attack, but there was still a massive number of them getting ready to attack the Hollows.

Dondochakka commanded with a deep loud growl that the machines were their enemies. The Menos complied without delay.

Meanwhile, Iconoclast had just finished breaking the gate Anri ordered, leaving only one barrier to protect whatever was at the end of the hallway.

"Perfect, one more to go and this will be my victory. Science has risen!" Anri exclaimed.

Pesche used _Sonido_ to move through the blank spots that remained from his brother's attack to pursue Anri, all while the Hollows clashed with the mechaniloids in a gruesome yet epic fight. Who would have ever thought that Hollows would fight machines?

As Pesche stepped in front of Anri, the Duke laughed at him.

"Do you really believe yourself capable of defeating me at this point?" Anri asked retorically.

"I don't think about anything, I simply have to do it!" Pesche pointed the scimitar at him.

"Tch... How foolish. I'll make sure to end you before that gate is destroyed just so I can enjoy the moment a bit more" He reshaped the handle of his lightsaber.

"Very well, I'll do the same in that case" Pesche accepted the challenge. "Scavenge... _Escarabajo_!" He said as he put the blade back in his pants.

An explosion of purple Reiatsu blinded everyone for a couple seconds.

After the light disappeared, the true form of the Arrancar opened his eyes to fight at full strength for the first time.

His white face was uncovered for the first time. He had good-looking features, a small nose and daring eyes with yellow irises. His long blonde hair fell to his shoulders and covered his forehead with a wild fringe. His head, was crowned with a white mask fragment that had two very long horns that resembled those of a hercules beetle. In his hands, he rested a large broad scimitar.

The most shocking change however, was his body. Just like Nelliel, his legs disappeared completely and turned into the body of another being. His lower part had become the large body of a white beetle, with three thin but strong legs coming out of each side.

Anri was surprised to see a serious expression on his rival's face. He did not doubt for one second as he pulled a fuchsia edge out of the new handle.

"A laser blade, huh?" Pesche asked him. "It looks dangerous, but I assure you... You won't be able to cut me with it" The Fracción declared with a determined expression.

In a flash, he appeared by the side of Anri and slashed his blade at him. The alien-like Demon only managed to block it an instant before being cut in half.

"What is the meaning of this?" He thought. How can an Arrancar become so strong just by achieving _Resurrección__?__"_

"I know what you're thinking. You wouldn't be so astonished if you weren't so proud. It's true, Demons are tremendously strong, but who said Arrancar couldn't be as or even stronger? You claim to love science, but not studying the peak of our abilities correctly will be your end"

"Ngh... Don't you dare criticise me from a scientific point of view! If I haven't studied you correctly... Then I'll make sure to win this fight and dissect your bodies properly!"

The two started to clash their blades for the last time. Both perfectly knew that there wouldn't be a next encounter. This was a final duel against the Duke and the blonde Arrancar, and none would leave anything out.

As Anri noticed his strength was not comparable to Pesche's, he decided to use a last resource. Iconoclast was not done breaking the final gate, but it didn't matter to him anymore.

"_**Church of the Machine**!"_ He exclaimed.

All pieces of metal, machines and scraps started forming around him. He became a killing machine of monstrous proportions himself.

"Let's end this"

The abomination had thousands of cutting saws, plasma shooting cannons and could even create smaller machines to dustract his enemies. Anri had gone to the limit of his own ability, intellect and his Onibuki's power, but was it enough?

"Dondochakka, can you give me an opening?"

"YES" The statue Arrancar loudly replied as he prepared another triple _Cero_.

Anri charged every plasma cannon inside his catastrophic mechanic body to counter the attack.

However, this distraction, was what Pesche needed to end the fight.

"**_Embestida_**"

From the horns in his head, large purple Reiatsu blades grew, reaching the size of possibly Ten-Gen Myo'o's sword.

Pesche charged with his blades towards Anri in a final intent to defeat him.

"For Nel-sama, for Hueco Mundo!" He shouted as he ran the last couple meters, pointing his head at the red core of the disastrous machine, where Anri's real body was. With his six legs, he impulsed himself and jumped.

"It rules, in Earth and Sky. Now we live no more to die... Science has risen" Anri said as he realized Pesche's plan.

As the giant purple blades went through his body, the machinery started collapsing and turning into scraps instantly.

Before losing consciousness though, Anri decided to end it all there.

"_Bastards of the Machine" _He commanded as his being perished in a disaster of blood, metal and oil.

The core of each machine was set on fire and exploded.

"Oh no..." Pesche muttered as he noticed his fate. "Nel-sama..."

~~~~X~~~~

Rukia and Renji had finished fighting the Demons that were obstructing their path.

It was a pretty neat combo, cause Rukia froze the enemies and Renji broke them into pieces while they were frozen solid.

"Wow, you really got strong in the Dangai" He pointed out.

"You didn't expect me to become this powerful?" She asked a bit bothered.

"I don't mean it like that! I'm just... Surprised. We didn't fight when we were training and you were always beat by the end of the day so I don't recall seeing your might, although I do remember your sleeping face, haha!"

"Shut up..." She blushed a little. "Hey, is that the palace?" She asked as a magnificent structure of white pillars and golden rooftops came into sight.

"It must be. Such a building can't be mere decoration" Renji braced himself.

"Let's go. Don't forget that we must be very careful. I don't know why, but I get the feeling that whoever is waiting for us, is really dangerous"

"Understood. You always have these hunches and you end up right, so I won't test my luck"

"I'm glad to hear that you take this seriously"

Renji smiled at her in reply.

The two entered the palace making the less sound possible and looking around every corner.

In the center, there was a long and elegant staircase that went up in a square, like a Japanese castle.

"Welcome, Shinigami" A male voice greeted them.

"W-Where is he?" Rukia thought and felt scared, since she didn't even feel the presence of the being.

The Demon made his footsteps clear as he walked towards the staircase, right from behind them.

"No way..." Renji thought after noticing the position of their enemy.

He was wearing a beautiful grey Yukata and carrying a Japanese parasol that didn't allow them to see his face clearly, though his long black hair gave them the same feeling Byakuya inspired when he appeared, though it was a more somber one.

"He could've killed us and we wouldn't have noticed!" Rukia thought with a shocked look as the Duke passed through them.

"Please, I know you must be eager to fight me, but could we please do it on top of this building? I would rather not damage this beautiful castle" He politely requested.

"Y-Yes... No problem" Renji replied stuttering, surprised by the Demon's attitude.

The Duke slowly walked up the stairs, with not a care in the world. He didn't feel a need to rush, so he enjoyed the marvelous sight of the 3rd Espada's Palace as he went up.

Rukia and Renji followed him. It was very awkward considering that he was the one they were supposed to beat to a pulp, but here they were, enjoying the same views that captivated the Demon.

"Hey, Rukia. This Palace belonged to that blonde Espada, didn't it?" Renji remembered Harribel used to be the third Espada.

"I think so. She gave me the same refined aura of this place now that I think about it. In a way, I think it resembles my brother's, and _he_ is no different" She replied, looking at the Duke who was now a couple floors on top of them.

As they went up, there was more tension in the air. Once on top, the battle they had been prapring for so long would finally take place. It was impossible not to ask themselves if they were truly ready for this moment, or if they would make it out alive, but in the end, it was like Yoruichi said. They simply had to do what they knew and give it their all.

The Demon reached the top floor a couple minutes before they did. He didn't seem uptight or tense in any way. He was calmly waiting for them to start business.

When they finally reached the top, they took a fighting stance.

"I would love to fight over a beautiful sunset, but I guess this place has its limitations. If you are really strong, we might even end up destroying each other across this eternal night's sky" He told them.

"Hey, are you really a Demon? No offense but, you look and act nothing like those beasts out there" Renji pointed out, remembering the foot soldiers.

"Of course, where are my manners?" He said as he put the parasol away to let them see his pale face.

As soon the two saw his goat's horn, no more doubt was in their heart, but it did surprise them to see a big black four tattooed on his right cheek.

"I see" Rukia said.

"Does this clarify your doubt?"

"Yeah. Though, that doesn't explain your behaviour"

"Ah, that is simply because of my personality. Some Demons are violent and stupid, but it's not my case. Well, I'm not a pure Demon anyway, but I assure you, even some Angels are like those brutes..."

"An...gels?" Rukia repeated a bit confused.

The Demon explained the whole deal of the Demons' origin, simply omitting details about his own self.

"Thank you for explaining, but we don't have much time. Our friends could be in danger, so we need to finish this quickly" Renji replied.

"I understand. Very well then, come at me and I'll respond accordingly. Though I shall warn you: You might be the ones who need help if you do not wish to die"

~~~~X~~~~

Pesche was ready to accept Death's embrace.

Although he never wished to die, he was satisfied with the thought that they had defeated the Demon. He and Dondochakka had proven that they weren't weak and that they didn't need Nel's protection anymore.

If there was something he regretted, was leaving his brother and Nel a painful sorrow though.

He returned to his normal state to die with his mask on, as he didn't want to give his brother an awful sight.

Just when the explosion was reaching him however, one of the Menos Dondochakka had summoned before grabbed him and threw him away with all its might.

He fell just behind Dondochakka, who was still in his _Resurrección_.

The huge explosion damaged the walls greatly, but even though there was a lot of destruction, the structure as a whole withstood the explosion quite well.

"Huh?!" Pesche looked at his surroundings. "Am I...? Am I alive?!" He couldn't believe it.

Dondochakka's giant stone body cracked until his brother reappeared in his normal form.

"Pesche!" He fell with tears running down his face.

"Ow!" Pesche complained as Dondochakka fell right on top of him. "Be more careful, or you might be the one to kill me!"

"Sorry, sorry... But I thought you were going to die! I never thought the Menos would feel my wish to save you so strongly though..." He stood up again.

"Well, it seems you wished strongly enough for my safety in order that they carried out an order you didn't give them"

"Anyway... I'm happy!" He hugged Pesche and pressed him against his body.

"Ungh! Enough! Enough! I'm... Happy... As well!"

Dondochakka let him go and Pesche panted to get his breath back.

"So... What could be the thing that guy wanted so badly? Cause... He freaking blew himself to pieces for it!!!" He said, approaching the golden gate.

"I don't know... But look, I bet I can break this thing with a single headbutt!" His brother joked and hit his head with it.

To his surprise, his head was hard enough to break it in one hit, just like he said.

"You weren't kidding! Amazing, Dondochakka"

"Eh? Yeah, it's nothing, really..." He blushed as he scratched the back of his head.

The final room was pitch black.

"What is this place?" Pesche asked retorically as he walked into it.

"Careful, Pesche! There might be traps!"

As soon as he took three steps inside, a loud blast was heard inside the room.

"Eek!" Pesche screamed scared.

"No, Pesche!!!" Dondochakka screamed worried as well.

But the blast was nothing negative. What occurred was that a circle of torches lighted up around the room, illuminating it with blue flames.

"Wait, now we can look inside" He looked around the place.

As expected, the room was filled with glyphs of ancient times. There were runes carved on the walls that none of the Arrancar could recognize.

"Do you think this says something about our past?" Pesche asked his brother.

"Who knows? It's not like I understand this language"

"Yeah... I doubt a living Hollow understands this gibberish"

"Look, Pesche! What is that?" Dondochakka pointed at the center of the room.

He did as his brother told him and gave a look. At the core of the chamber, a shining blue orb encased in a white tesseract shined with all its might.

"I... Have no idea"

The two got closer to have a better look.

Something told them that, despite its odd appearance, it was something tremendously important.

"It looks somewhat familiar..." Dondochakka commented.

"Yeah. It kinda resembles the Hogyoku. That weird thing Aizen used to turn us into Arrancar... But for some reason, I have the feeling that this is far more powerful"

Their eyes were fixated on the object when suddenly, they heard footsteps in the back.

The two stepped back instinctively and took a fighting stance.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" He demanded, pointing his Zanpakuto.

The being came into the light, holding his hands up in the air.

He had long grey hair that almost fell to the floor, an adult yet young face with fuchsia eyes, one covered a little by a fringe, and the other side of his face had remains of a broken white mask. He was wearing a kind of familiar white attire.

"Sorry for scaring you, but I wanted to confirm that the Demons hadn't gotten here before I did" He replied. "You are Hollows right?"

"We are Arrancar. Fracción of Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck for your information" Pesche replied, since Dondochakka didn't say a word.

"Nelliel... That name sounds kinda familiar... Well, beats me. I've met so many Hollows during my life that I might be mistaken. Anyway... What are you planning to do with the _Heart of Tsukoyomi__?__"_ He asked, carefully placing his hand in the handle of his sword.

"Eh? Heart of what?"

"You mean you got here... Without having any idea of what you were gonna find?" The individual asked confused.

"We came here because one of the Demons did and he was trying to get something! We merely thought that it wasn't a good idea letting him carry on with his wishes" Dondochakka explained a bit scared. "We didn't mean to steal anything!"

"I see..." The other man sighed. "Well, I guess I owe you guys one. Sorry for doubting you"

"So, you're not going to kill us... That's a good start but... Who the hell are you?!" Pesche asked confused.

"Ah, sorry about that! Call me Nageki. Nakagawa Nageki" He replied with a carefree smile.

~~~~X~~~~

**Well, another Duke down and a new mystery at hand. I hope everyone is having a good time while reading this, cause personally, I'm having a blast writing it!**

**Sorry for the delay, but I came back to University. Only the first week of the second semester already, but it's going a lot tougher in comparison to the last one. That said, don't fret! Cause this story is going anywhere but hiatus.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Excellent work! Man did I love this. I especially liked how you referenced Star Wars with Pesche and his Demon opponent! Lol. I could literally hear the Duel of the Fates theme play during that time!_**

**_Anyway, you won't believe my luck on the BBS 4th Anniversary! I got a whole ton of 5 stars! Including TYBW Aizen! WHOO! Can't wait to test his Hadō 99 special! Now all I need is TYBW Yamamoto!_**

**_But enough about that. I really enjoyed this. Keep it up and see ya next update!_**

**Reply: Glad to hear that you liked it so much. I was watching a guitar cover of that same track by 331Erock a while before writing it so I felt inspired, haha.**

**Aside from Yamamoto, I didn't get any other TYBW character, but I'm hoping I'll get Aizen on the next opportunity, that's not so far ahead. Regardless of that, just having my beloved Nel is enough for me to be happy.**

**Mr. Marston: _Excellent update. I noticed that all this demon fighting business seems to be rubbing off on Lisa, she's usually not a sadist she's cool and collected as well as a pervert. But it's to be expected, excellent depiction. Keep the updates coming, this saga is epic! 10/10._**

**Reply: Though it was a really subtle detail I added I'm happy to see that you identified it. These Demon's have a lot of evil energy flowing around them, but only a couple of them have a negativity so strong that can affect others. I'll explain that properly in one of the next mini-arcs of this fic, so it's gonna be a while, but we'll get there.**

**I love adding small details, but I love it even more when readers notice these things. It means that I'm doing my job right, I guess. It fills me with joy to see that some people are liking this so much, so thank _you_ and everyone else!**

**Until next time... Evhron!**

**Glossary:**

**_Estatua__: _Statue_._**

**_Puerta Ceremonial: _Ceremonial Gate.**

**_Escarabajo: _Scarab. Beetle.**

**_Embestida: _****Assault.**


	13. IV - Lysis

The Duke pulled the sword out of its sheath faster than they could see.

"I am Ichika, the 4th Duke of Jigoku, though I guess that was pretty obvious..." He added because of his tattoo. "Come" He said, raising his Reiatsu.

The jade tiled floor of the rooftop trembled due to the sheer pressure created by the elegant Oni.

"What is this Reiatsu?!" Rukia had never felt something so crushing in her whole life.

"Let's go, Rukia!" Renji made her snap with his loud voice.

"Huh? Is he... Not afraid? Does he not feel the pressure of this guy?!" She thought.

"Hey..." He said in a lower voice. "It's not like I'm not scared. This guy is crazy strong, but we can't let that bother us. If you still can't make up enough courage to advance... I'll be the one to do it"

"Renji!" She exclaimed worried.

"Don't worry, I would never die. Not when I have to protect you. I know that I've been a pushover more than once..." He remembered the multiple times he ended up being defeated. "But this time, this time it's going to be different, so... Let's do this... Roar, _Zabimaru_!"

Renji's Zanpakuto rose with an unprecedented strength. Through the training Yoruichi instructed him, he got to truly know the spirits inside his blade.

"Are you sure you don't want to use _Bankai__? _Please don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to brag, but I don't recommend taking me so lightly" Ichika replied.

"I'm sure, you must be one hell of a rival! But, you Demons also have a sword release, don't you? So don't expect me to use _Bankai_ if you haven't shown me that first"

"Very well. You better don't regret this decision" Ichika gave them a defying look with his deep green eyes.

Renji slashed his long sword at him, which he easily evaded. The Shinigami however, thought that such a thing would happen, so he used that slash as a diversion.

Rukia understood the move and released her Zanpakuto. A second later, she advanced towards the Oni while lowering her body temperature, careful not to freeze Renji in the process.

Ichika clashed with Rukia and noticed how his Onibuki was being frozen. As soon as this happened, he took a few steps back to develop a better strategy.

"An ice Zanpakuto... Interesting. You two look promising, so don't disappoint me"

~~~~X~~~~

"*sigh* That was a long rest, but I think I'm fine now" Hiyori said as she got up.

"Are you really alright?" Lisa asked worried about her friend's status.

"Yeah, good enough. How about you?" She asked everyone.

"I can't say that it wasn't tiring, but I can start moving" Love replied.

"As long as you don't go running off... I think I wouldn't have a problem going to the next Palace" Hachigen said, worried that he would have to make a great physical effort.

"I'm good. Though we must be really careful with the next one. Who knows how great the difference in power is with the last one..." Lisa added, remembering a bit of the fight with Hoji with a hint of uneasyness.

"Yeah... But at least we know that they are not unbeatable" Love said with relief.

"Tch... If they were unbeatable we would've never come here in the first place!" Hiyori almost reprimended him for implying such thing.

"Anyways... We'll start moving then?" Hachi asked his friends.

Everyone looked at each other, only to find agreement.

"Let's go!" Lisa said decided.

As they went through this section of the desert, they were surprised to not find more hordes of Demons.

"What happened to those bastards? You think we scared 'em away?" Hiyori asked her friends oblivious of what the cause was.

"I don't know... But I don't think that was the case either" Love replied as he put his hand on his forehead to try amd look further.

Indeed, not a single creature was patrolling the surroundings of the original Palace of the Cuatro Espada.

"Spooky..." Lisa looked around as well. "Look! There is someone there!" She pointed at a shadowy figure that was on its way to the entrance of the same tower they were headed.

"Huh? Do you think that's the Duke?" Hachigen asked.

"I don't think so... And I doubt he's an ally, cause everyone had at least one partner" Lisa replied. "We should hurry and see nevertheless"

"Yeah!" Hiyori replied and ran off.

Everyone followed, though Hachi wasn't content with the idea.

"Hey, wait up! I told you I didn't want to run!"

As they approached the figure, they noticed that it was a tall man wearing white clothes.

"Hey! You!" Hiyori called his attention.

"What the fuck you want?" He impolitely replied, despite she being the only person he had found since he went back to Hueco Mundo, but then again, that was expected of Yammy.

"Oi! That's no way to treat a lady, dumbass!" She insulted back.

The two were about to fight when Love arrived with a more diplomatic approach.

"Hey, by that uniform I assume you are an Espada"

"Pfft... I used to be. That whore of Harribel banished me for being too troublesome or some shit... But, that's why I came back here"

"Huh? Harribel... That's the one we fought on Karakura Town and ended up training alongside us" Lisa reminded Hiyori.

"Ah, that woman!" The image of her appeared on her mind. "She was the third Espada if I'm not mistaken..." The Vizards hadn't interacted much with the Espada, so they couldn't say much.

"Well, for your information I am Yammy Llargo, the Cero Espada, and the strongest of them all!"

"How were you banished then?" Love asked confused.

"W-Well that is... Not important..." Yammy grinded his teeth with frustration. "All that shit doesn't matter now anyway! It wasn't easy but I found Ulquiorra's palace, so now I just have to convince him to let me be part of his forces!" He grinned as he thought of how brilliant that should've sounded, though reality was not like he expected, of course.

"Ulquiorra? You knew about him?" Lisa asked.

"I would never mistake that green _Cero_... I escaped at first cause shit was seriously fucked up! But now things seem to have gotten calmer so I decided to come back"

"Well, he's definitely not here. That creepy guy must be in the throne room" Hiyori replied. "Also... He's the big boss of these Demons now! How in the hell do you think he would accept a weakling like you? Are you like... Dumb or somethin'?"

"Hey! You don't seem to understand who you're meddling with! I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast!" He spat.

"You eat pieces of shit for breakfast?" Hiyori scoffed at the reply.

It was in that moment that Yami realized the stupidity of his comment.

"No!?" He spat back with a dumb face that suited him perfectly. It was rare that Arrancars even ate in the first place, but whatever.

"What a fucking idiot! Ahahahaha!" Hiyori couldn't contain her laughter.

"You little...!" Yammy was about to go into a rampage.

"Enough! Look, Ulquiorra is not here, but there is one of the Dukes!" Lisa replied.

"Yeah? And what do I care!?" Yammy replied.

"If you killed him, maybe Ulquiorra would consider you joining him. After all... You would be proving your worth" Lisa explained her idea, although it was obviously a lie.

"Hmm... It does make sense. Yeah, I can kill that Demon, Ulquiorra will have no choice but to accept me into his army!" Yammy fell right in the trap.

"Sweet! You're amazing, Lisa!" Hiyori whispered at her friend.

"Shouldn't we help him though?" Love asked. "I doubt he can defeat a Duke on his own"

"We could see how he does and help him if he needs it. Who knows? Maybe he's not as weak as you think" Hachi replied.

"And even if he is... At least we'll be able to see just how powerful this Duke is" Lisa clarified.

The Vizards simply observed Yammy as he entered the white tower that used to be Ulquiorra's Palace.

"Well, well, well... Where are you, Demon? I've come to tell you about your fortune, though I'm afraid that I have to say... ~Mala suerte~" Yammy said as he put a thumbs down on the figure in front of him.

The white being simply stood still though. It showed no reaction whatsoever towards Yammy's threat.

"Wait... What the...? What is this thing?!" Only then, he noticed the strange being that he was about to fight.

The white human-shaped creature tilted its head a bit.

Yammy felt somewhat observed by the black "V" that was on its head. It was the closest thing that thing had to a face after all.

"Well, I don't know what the fuck you are and I don't give a shit! I'll just destroy you and prove myself useful to Ulquiorra!" He said as he started punching the air and throwing a barrage of _Bala_ at the Demon.

The body of the Oni was being mashed by each shot of Reiatsu. It even seemed like the being was being destroyed.

"How do you like that?!" The Arrancar said triumphantly.

The Vizards looked surprised, except for Love.

"Oi, he's actually doing it...?" Hiyori couldn't believe it.

"Don't be fooled" Love replied. "It's impossible that a Duke dies so easily"

And right on cue, from the pieces of body that had fallen from the Oni, more beings that looked almost like it, cause they didn't have the V, rose up and ran frantically towards Yammy as their heads grew.

"W-What?! What the hell is going on?" He said, taken by surprise.

He desperately shot _Bala_ at the heads of the creatures before they reached him, managing to make them explode.

The corrosive fluid that they contained fell all over the place, making Yammy pivot in his place, trying to evade the acid rain.

"Oh shit! It burns, it burns, it burns!" He screamed as his white tunic started dissolving.

The white masses that remained came back to the original body, which showed no change whatsoever.

"Now you've made me angry!" The Arrancar spat as he got his sword out. "Enrage! _Ira_!"

Yammy's body changed into a titanic sized giant that had two white curvy horns in his head. His feet became like a goat's and his hands grew claws. Of course, this transformation completely destroyed the white tower, although the being didn't seem to care.

"Ha! It seems that fighting so many of you monsters has awoken an Oni in myself! This couldn't be better... I'll show you what a real Demon's power is like!" He said as he started charging a _Cero_ inside his mouth.

The Oni however, simply walked towards him, with not a care in the world.

Yammy stopped charging his _Cero_ just to look at the entity.

"Oi... What are you doing?" He asked confused.

The creature did not reply, but neither did it halt its walk.

"Now seriously... What the fuck are ya doin'?" He was beginning to grow anxious.

Finally, the Demon stopped walking once it was right in front one of Yammy's giant hoofs. It extended one of its arms to touch the foot with a sticky white hand.

"Huh?" Yammy couldn't understand this action. No one could, actually.

The Vizards didn't miss a second of the fight, as this was the weirdest enemy they had encountered in their whole lives.

They did not speak or make a single sound. They just looked at the strange picture.

Yammy's hoof alone was larger than the whole body of the white being, and yet the creature decided to get even closer to him. What could it possibly be planning? Did it even have a mind of its own, or was it driven purely by instinct?

In a matter of seconds, the white hand was embedded inside Yammy's body and it started going up, covering it all with its white being.

Yammy became legitimately scared as this occurred. He didn't know how to react to such an attack. He was a musclehead who relied purely on brute strength, so an enemy that demanded thought and analysis such as this one was completely off his league.

The Demon's body continued filling Yammy's body helplessly, restricting not only his move but also dissolving it in a slow and painful way.

"No! What the hell?! IT HURTS! YYEEAAARRGHHHH!"

A cold feeling of fear ran through the Vizard's bodies as they witnessed the horrible scene. The sole idea of that happening to them gave them uncontrollable shivers.

"I-I don't know about you, guys... But I don't want to fight that thing" Hiyori muttered.

"Y-Yeah, me neither..." Lisa agreed.

"Maybe we should regroup or come up with a strategy before fighting that monstruosity" Hachi added.

Yammy's body had now been entirely engulfed by the Demon at this point. They weren't able to hear Yammy's screams of agony anymore, but it was clear that he was suffering in an unimaginable way before facing his ultimate death.

"Dammit... I don't feel comfortable leaving this thing alone, but we will certainly die if we don't have a plan" Love said.

The giant body of Yammy had dissolved into a white sticky mass that was feeding the Demon. Despite the massive amount of that weird matter though, the Oni's body didn't seem to grow any larger.

The Vizards were starting to retreat, when they noticed that they were actually surrounded by an uncountable army of the Duke's clones.

"Shit! They don't want to let us to go" Hiyori prepared her blade to fight the beings.

"Maybe a devastating form of Kidou can kill most of them" Lisa tried to come up with an idea.

"We have no choice but to try it" Love agreed. "Hachi"

"Yes" Hachigen put his mask on and enclosed the white beings in one of his orange barriers.

By moving his hands in a specific way, he managed to separate the heads of the beings from the bodies with his barrier.

As soon as the heads were cut, they exploded. Hachi cancelled the separating barrier in that very moment to make the acid rain fall in the headless bodies that remained.

"It worked!" Lisa said as the bodies dissolved with the acid.

"That was great, Hachi!" Hiyori praised.

"Yeah, you couldn't have done better" Love gave him a thumbs up.

As soon as those disappeared however, more seemed to emerge from the sand.

"No way! Do these things never end?!" Hiyori complained.

This time the creatures were closer, putting them in a more dangerous situation.

"Everyone, shoot a _Cero_ and disappear!" Lisa commanded.

They all did as she ordered as it was by far the most effective method they had at that point and did their best to erase as many clones as they could with the red Hollow Reiatsu beams.

Most of them were actually destroyed, but it was not enough. There were still more standing, and even more were on their way as they rose from under the sand.

"Damn it! Love, can you do another _Bankai__?" _Lisa asked him."I could try, though I _am_ a bit tired I must say..." He admitted.

But just before the beings enclosed them, they suddenly stopped. Their bodies dissolved and reunited with the original Duke, who had opened a large Kimon.

"What the... Hell?!" Hiyori spat as she had a look at the fearsome world on the other side of the portal.

"Holy..." Love said in amazement as well.

"It seems that thing's going back to where it came from" Lisa added.

"And it's not a pretty place..." Hachi said with fear.

The Oni passed through the portal, not caring about them.

"And it's leaving just like that?!" Hiyori asked in disbelief.

"Guess it has better things to do..." Lisa replied.

"Though that doesn't out me at ease" Love said in reply.

"*sigh* In any case... We should try to help someone else. If this was number V, imagine how rough the others are having it with the smaller numbers..." Hachi proposed.

"But, I doubt there's enough time for us all to come to the aid of a single group..." Hiyori bit her lip with her overgrown fang.

"Then it's obvious, we must divide into pairs. Each pair will go help in one of the next Palaces" Lisa replied.

"Then we should head for the 3rd and 1st Palaces" Love completed the idea. "I think there's no doubt that Ichigo will have no problem, and that Arrancar girl is hella strong as well"

"Nel-san is one of the most complete warriors I've ever seen" Hachigen complimented. "She has mastered a broad selection of skills, possibly making her as dangerous as Yoruichi-san herself"

"Without mentioning the fact that she's an Espada-level Arrancar. She'll be just fine" Lisa concluded. "So... What are we doing?"

"Let's see..." Love started saying, trying to come up with a quick yet effectife solution.

~~~~X~~~~

"Rukia, he's going at you!" Renji shouted in the distance, as he saw Ichika flying at an abnormal speed towards his childhood friend.

They were fighting at the top of Harribel's Palace, soaring through the fake skies Aizen designed at a tremendous speed.

Renji and Rukia had become really powerful in general terms, but the Oni they chose seemed to handle them just fine despite the numerical disadvantage.

"_Destructo Spin_" He said as he threw his blade spinning, which was attached to a black chain that grew from his palm.

Rukia, just by seeing it, knew that she would be unable to block the attack. Her best chance was evading it and hoping that Renji would stop the Demon before it was too late for her.

"Unless..." She thought for a moment.

Ichika noticed the sudden resolve that appeared in her eyes and decided to raise the speed at which his sword was spinning towards her.

"You bastard...!" Renji frowned as he saw.

Rukia didn't seem to worry though. Instead she kept her ground with a calm attitude and simply sighed.

"No time to doubt..." She thought.

The spinning blade was coming at her with its reckless and relentless speed. It was impossible to stop by conventional means, but the Shinigami girl had realized this long ago.

"-273,15 Celsius..." She thought as the blade froze right in front of her, just by touching her Zanpakutou for an instant.

"What...?" Renji thought as he saw the result. "Did he stop the attack? No, that would make no sense... Then, what the hell did Rukia do?!"

Ichika lost his serious expression and made a small grin.

"I was eager to know what you had up your sleeve... But I have to admit that I never imagined you could go to the extreme of freezing your body at absolute zero. You truly are a worthy opponent" Ichika made a reverence.

"I am flattered" Rukia replied. "But like my friend said, we cannot waste any more time" She said determined as she slowly regained her normal body temperature, which was like coming back to life.

"That's... Right!" Renji said as he tried to attack Ichika while he didn't have his blade, only to be blocked by his bare arm.

His skin was incredibly hard. Renji made sure to use his full stremgth in that swing and all it managed to do was make the arm bleed.

"I understand... You wish to end this quickly, not for pride, but for the sake of your friends' lives. I will reward your noble attitude by using my full strength then..." The Duke replied sensibly, as he got his sword back by contracting the chain. "I'll make a recommendation, though I believe it's a must at this point: use your _Bankai_"

"O... Okay" Renji couldn't believe that his enemy was actually aiding him. "Though I would like to ask... Are you really evil?"

The Demon chuckled at such a question.

"Am I Evil? Hahaha... How relative. Back when I was a human though... I probably was" He replied, leaving the other two in shock.

"What?!" Renji blinked at that comment. "You were... Human?"

"Some hundreds of years ago... Yeah. You see... My mother was a witch, or at least, she was considered as such. As you might imagine, she was burned alive, by a group of catholics that arrived on our little island back when Japan was nothing but a land of war between the different villages and factions. My mother was our village's high priest and had the powers of a medium. You can imagine how that was received by those ignorant occidental men..."

Rukia and Renji frowned just by thinking about it.

"In order to get my revenge, I started hunting them all down. I went to the mainland as a teenager, purely driven by the hatred I felt towards those people. When I was in my 20s, I had probably killed hundreds of foreign men, though a dozen of them were actually priests.

In the end, one day I got to a dead end. I could either kill myself, or wait for my pursuers to kill me. And... While on the brink of achieving my Harakiri, a light suddenly descended upon me: Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun"

"A... Goddess? A primordial goddess like her?!" Rukia exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yeah... I was probably even more shocked than you right now. She offered me a path to save my soul, and so I decided to become an Angel and serve her and the other Gods in the higher plane of Takemagahara" He said with a smile.

"But then... Why are you a Demon?" Renji asked confused.

"Because my lady ordered me to do so" Ichika said, referring to Amaterasu.

"Wait... What?" The other two were at their limit of mind-blown.

"Please, did you really think that the Oni were the only one who had schemes? Of course, the Gods have never truly trusted Yama, and because of that, they sent a spy, though I believe myself to be more of a scapegoat to be honest" He confessed.

"Scapegoat? Of what?" Rukia asked him, even more curious.

"Sorry, but I've said enough already. If you are destined to know the truth, you will get to know it eventually" He replied.

"But then... Why do you have to go to such lengths to fight us? You fulfilled your mission didn't you? You know what the Oni are planning and I'm sure you informed your Goddess as well. There's no need for you to do this anymore!" Renji wanted to change his heart.

"Sorry, but it's quite the contrary. I must give it my all, cause that's the only way to erase any form of suspicion that Yama may still have. If I die while using the full potential of the power he gave me, I will have succeeded. Regardless of that, if you really plan to defeat the Princes and the King of Jigoku himself, you must be able to at least beat me in my prime"

"B-But...!" Renji still tried to convince him.

"Stop, Renji!" Rukia ordered. "He has made his decision and given us all the reasons... We must respect that"

"Thank you, I'm really sorry that things have to go this way, but let's have a duel that will make my savior proud!" Ichika concluded. "And... I know it may sound hypocritical at this point, but... Please, don't die" He requested tenderly.

Such an attitude moved both Rukia and Renji. An Angel that became a Demon for his Goddess, with an unwavaring heart that was worthy of being admired.

"We won't disappoint you" Rukia replied.

"It's time then... Erase It All, **_Samael_**_!"_ Ichika released his sword by doing the traditional Seppuku.

His being was engulfed by a vortex of both light and darkness. It was like his own transformation was a metaphor of his own life.

Once the vortex ceased to exist, a sudden amoun of Reiatsu almost made Rukia and Renji fall from the sky.

Ichika's left side had become a complete Demonic being. His horn grew and was curved, his green eye became a blood red one and the rest of his body grew claws and changed into a grey skin colour. The right side remained the same except for a single change. A giant white angel's wing grew from his back, though the left side showed a demonic black wing of the same size.

"It... Can't... Be..." She thought as she did her best effort to stand her ground.

Renji could only laugh madly at the power he felt. It made his body shiver with adrenaline, endorphine and dopamine.

"_BANKAI: **So-Oh Zabimaru**__!__" _He yelled as he used the real power of his Zanpakuto, revealing a green and red monkey's arm with a skeletal hand that appeared on his side, like a familiar.

"What is that _Bankai_?" Rukia, who had just managed to remain in the air, was now surprised by her partner, whose true Bankai she had never seen.

"While I was in the Dangai, Yoruichi-san told me to meditate to improve my connection with my Zanpakuto. Only then… Was that I realised that I didn't even know the true name of my _Bankai_…" He admitted. "It came as a shock to me, like I had been lied to for one hell of a time, but that was also my fault, so it's only fair"

"You seem to understand the threat posed by my full power" Ichika said as he showed them his Onibuki. It had split itself into two swords, one was a broadsword, entirely black with a hole in the center, and the other one was a long entirely white Katana with a black handle.

"Yeah, there is nothing to hold back anymore. Like you said, it's time we prove our worth" Renji replied, bracing himself before clashing with the Duke.

"Let's go... Survive this! _Prelude to Obliteration!"_ Ichika said as he pointed both blades at them.

An explosion of light and darkness was blasted towards them.

Rukia tried to evade it, but didn't manage to escape on time.

"Rukia!" Renji said as he came to her aid and picked her up bridal style to escape the massive wave of power that was after them.

"I... I... I almost died..." She muttered as they got to a safe spot.

"Don't say stupid things like that. I told you, you are not gonna die for as long as I'm by your side"

"Renji..." She looked at him with hopeful eyes. "Thank you"

"Don't mention it. Now, let's get back to business, cause this is a battle I can't win on my own"

"Yes!" She snapped and prepared herself to continue.

Ichika flew at them after he saw that they were composed once again.

The two started to clash with him, each one with a single sword. Renji was attacking the dark blade and Rukia was dealing with the light one.

Each swing from Ichika's swords was a small explosion of Reiatsu. They were only beginning to understand the true danger of his powers.

"There is a reason my Onibuki is called Destroyer by the other Demons. If you're not careful, this will end sooner than any of us expect, so make sure that doesn't happen" Ichika said as he continued fighting them.

"_Hihioh_!" Renji said as he threw punches with the monkey's arm in an intent to make a three against two.

A couple punches actually hit and damaged Ichika, which made the angelic Demon happy.

"Yeah, that's it..." He thought with a smile. "_Nuclear Justice_" He said as he stood still.

Suddenly, the air around them started a chain of explosions that neither of the two Shinigami were able to explain.

"What the...?!" Renji said, and Rukia thought the same.

The two had no choice but to disperse as everything turned into a giant mess of destruction, that ended up breaking the complete ceiling of Las Noches above that area.

~~~~X~~~~

"Look at that, Ichigo!" Nel pointed out to the recently destroyed place.

"Damn, it seems like these Demons are getting rough as time progresses" He pressed his teeth.

"We shall end this quickly"

"Yeah, it won't be long if we keep this pace" Ichigo swinged his blade at an enormous horde of both flying and big ground-level Demons.

The blast of black and red Reiatsu erased them all in a single swing.

"You're so strong, Ichi!" Nel clapped her hands in sign of admiration.

"Thanks..." He chuckled. "Let's keep moving, we're almost there"

~~~~X~~~~

"*pant* *pant* Geez..." Renji was at the limit of his physical ability from all the running. "If this keeps up... It won't be good"

"We... Need to... Finish him... In some way..." Rukia panted. "I'm sure... If we both use our strongest attack, he will die.. But we need an opportunity" She bit her lip.

Ichika appeared in front of them once again.

"Is this the extent of your skills?" He asked a bit worried. "If so... I don't think you're going any further, and I can't let you leave here alive either"

"Tch... _Orochioh_!" Renji attacked with Zabimaru, not willing to give up.

The snake like being wrapped Ichika and constricted him thoroughly.

"Ngh..." The Demon spat a bit of blood. "That's... More like it... But... It's not enough!"

Ichika made the matter around him explode once again, forcing Renji to move away and letting him free of the killer embrace.

He was so close to them this time, that the explosions were actually reaching them, before they could escape.

"Fuck!" Renji spat as he felt his tunic catch fire. In a desperate move he decided to grab Rukia and throw her away. "Live... Rukia" He whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek.

"No... RENJI!!!" She screamed, as his Reiatsu disappeared instantly. She fell from ten thousand feet in the air, and as she fell faster, the thought of him began.

He had always been by her side. Ever since they were children, Renji had been there to protect her. It was true, he wasn't the strongest, and his impetous character often brought trouble upon them, but no one had been as dedicated to her in her entire life. Even Ichigo, who she considered was her best friend, wasn't as close to her in the way Renji was, but that was something she was only beginning to understand.

"Renji..." She muttered with frozen tears in her cheeks, as the giant explosion devoured his shadow.

Halfway through the fall, her body froze, and so did the air around her. She truly never realized how important Renji was in her life, and now that he was gone, she was dead inside.

Ichika looked sadly at the result of his attack.

"I'm sorry, Shinigami, but I also have things I have to protect" He said, showing his respects by bowing.

"What are you so sorry about?" A cocky voice asked. "You said so yourself, we had to be careful or we would die" He said pointing his blade at him.

"Huh?" Rukia looked skyward, just because her heart told her to do so. "Ren...ji? Renji?!" She had spotted him.

"Though I gotta admit..." The red hair started saying. "It would've been my end if I hadn't gotten a little help"

By his side appeared two Vizards.

"You reckless brat! You are lucky that we decided to come here!" Hiyori reprimended him.

"Brat? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?!" Renji spat back.

"Enough. We need to focus on the battle at hand" Hachigen called their attention. "The barrier I made to protect him seems to have worked, which is a good thing. Are all of his attacks like that?"

"Yeah, more or less. He makes everything around him explode with light and dark Reiatsu" Renji explained.

"Okay... So, basically we have to kill him as soon as possible so we're not blown to bits. What a day..." Hiyori sighed.

"If you're gonna complain why did you bother to come, huh?" Renji questioned.

"Shut up! If it wasn't for us, you'd be literally dead!" She pouted.

"That was technically me, but... *sigh*" Hachi started saying, but the two were quarreling again.

"Hiyori-san, Hachi-san!" Rukia called their attention as she rejoined the battle.

"Hmm? I was wondering where you were, Rukia" Hiyori told her. "What's that on your face?" She asked about the frozen tears.

"Eh?" Rukia didn't seem to understand until she touched her face. "Oh, n-nothing! I guess my ice shards got stuck or something!" She cleaned her face.

"Really? Well, whatever. What are we doin' then? Any ideas?" She asked the rest.

"I can protect you three with my barriers. You try to come up with a strategy to fight him while I worry about that" Hachi replied.

"Very well, I can work with that" Renji agreed.

"So... We will do what we had in mind?" Rukia referred to their strongest attacks.

"Yeah. I don't think we have more options. If that doesn't work, well... Fuck" He replied scratching the back of his head.

"Hey! I don't have any idea of what plan you had made before, so spit it out!" Hiyori demanded.

"Oh, sorry" Rukia apologized. "I need an opening to use my Bankai and once he is completely frozen, Renji's gonna end it" She explained.

"I see. Sounds simpler than how it's gonna be in reality, for sure, but I'll see what I can do" She crossed her arms.

"Let's go, then!" Renji exclaimed.

"I guess you're ready" Ichika said as he saw the look in their eyes. "Let's end this"

Hiyori wore her mask and the other two went right at him, all thanks to Hachi's support.

Now, the explosions weren't such a hassle anymore. They still had to be careful at the especially destructive blasts of Ichika, but it was a lot easier.

Renji attacked him head on with both his monkey arm and serpent sword, leaving a space for Hiyori to jump across and slice Ichika whenever she had the chance.

Meanwhile, Rukia was preparing to unleash her _Bankai_, but for that, both Renji and Hiyori had to be in the clear.

"Very well... Show me whose resolve is stronger, Shinigami!" Ichika told them. "**_Destroyer of Dreams_**" He said as he threw both of his swords down.

As soon as they touched the ground, a colossal explosion of light and dark Reiatsu created an expansive wave that rose to the black sky above Las Noches, destroying a whole section of the desert.

Ichika had lead them to an empty space though, worried that no one else would be hurt by his most dangerous attack.

Hiyori grabbed both Renji and Rukia and used a combination of _Shunpo_ and _Sonido_ to get them out of the area.

"Holy... Thanks, Hiyori" Renji told her.

"Thank you for saving us, Hiyori-san" Rukia, still in shock, thanked her.

"We're a team, aren't we? I wouldn't leave you guys to die, don't be ridiculous" She replied. "Now... Let's get that plan of yours moving"

"Yes" The two replied.

As soon as Ichika was in sight, Hiyori blasted a triple _Cero_ to distract him.

As soon as he evaded the attack, Rukia was standing behind him.

"_Bankai__: **Hakka no Togame**!"_

A pilar of ice rose in all its majesty, with the same height of Ichika's attack. Rukia had put all of her efforts in doing a perfect _Bankai_, with the image of her brother on her mind.

Ichika was frozen solid before he could even turn around. They knew he was still alive, but Renji was ready for that.

"_So-Oh Zabimaru...**Zaga Teppo**!"_

The giant head of Zabimaru bit Ichika's frozen body, shattering him and disintegrating all the shards instantly.

They had killed the Demon.

"We... Did it!" Renji exclaimed.

"He... He was truly the strongest enemy we've ever faced" Rukia said, still not believing that they had really done it.

"That was the same way we felt when we beat the other guy, and there was another Duke that, well, let's just say it escaped, but it was awfully strong as well" Hiyori bitterly admitted.

"What? A Duke escaped?!" Renji asked confused.

"It went back into Jigoku" Hachigen added, joining them.

"_It_?" Rukia asked.

"It's a bit hard to explain, but what's important is that there are at least three Dukes we don't have to worry about. If we consider that the other guys did well, it would be five down" Hiyori replied, referreing to Uryuu and Chand, as well as Pesche and Dondochakka.

"We are getting close to the end... Where are the other two?" Rukia asked Hiyori.

"We decided to split in order to arrive in time. Love and Lisa went to the 1st Palace. They'll be fine..." She carelessly said in reply.

"They should, though I'm not sure those two are gonna need help" Renji replied, thinking about the two Espada.

"Let's hope that's not the case, but they went to their aid, just in case..." Hachi said.

~~~~X~~~~

"So here we are..." Grimmjow said as they were in front of a castle like Palace. "It's a shame that that lazy ass of Starrk is not here to welcome us"

"He was an outstanding fighter and a level headed Espada as well. It truly is a pity that we don't have him to fight this war" Harribel replied sadly.

"We'll have to do our best then, in his name" Grimmjow rarely said something so honorable, but he did respect Starrk deep in his heart.

"We will. We'll get all of Hueco Mundo back" Harribel said determined, as the two entered the Palace.

~~~~X~~~~

**The chapter of this week is ready! Wow, I never imagined so many people reading this. 50 Followers, damn! This is a new record for me... I would love to hear your thoughts on this story, so I encourage you to review the story so far (don't feel obligated to do so though).** **Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter and I'll head straight to...**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _I have practically nothing to say here! Especially seeing as this chapter was just SO AWESOME! Keep it up!_**

**Reply: You don't have to feel compromised to write a review in all chapters. As long as you're enjoying it, it's fine for me (:**

**Mr Marston: _Excellent chapter! Always knew Nel's fraccion/brothers can unleash sheer badassery when the situation calls for it. Still they and the others should tread lightly, these demons will no doubt harm Orihime and unleash darkness upon the living world if they get desperate. As usual keep them coming, I'm hooked!_**

**Reply: That was exactly what I wanted to show, I love when foolish-looking characters show a hidden power and leave everyone in silence. The next Demons are sure to display a new level of danger, so be ready sink in next time!**

**'Til next chapter, Evhron.**


	14. IIII - Tulpa

The two Espada went through the corridor that lead directly to the heart of the castle.

"Let's make this quick, are you by any chance number II?" Grimmjow asked as they entered the main hall of the castle, not having seen the Duke yet.

In front of them, stood a light-brown skinned Demon. He was really thin and had the head of a horse with a small horn on top. His eyes were sapphire blue.

"S-Sorry... I'm just... I'm just number III" He said with a manly yet soft voice as he showed the tattoo in his chest. He was holding a beautiful golden lyre.

"Hmm? You are quite shy to be a Demon" Harribel commented. "Though, that doesn't change the fact that you must be really powerful"

"Well... You see, I've never been really good with... You know, interacting with people. My brother tends to do the talking and stuff... But, he wanted me to do this on my own, and so will I!" He concluded, his sapphire eyes being filled with a sheer determination.

"Show me what you're made of" Grimmjow dared.

"My name's Soichiro. My full name used to be Asaki Soichiro. I am number III, while my brother Koichiro, is number II. He'll be watching the fight, but don't worry, he will not interfere"

"What do you mean by used to...?" Harribel asked curious.

"Well, as Demons, we lose our surnames. Only our name remains, so that it's easier to forget our past lives. However... I doubt any of us has really done so, but Yama-sama is happy just by knowing that we don't use it" Soichiro explained.

"Weird. What were _you_ in your past life anyways?" Grimmjow's curiosity also bloomed.

Soichiro chuckled. "You two... You are Espada, aren't you?"

"Y-Yes, we are" Harribel replied, not catching where he was going.

"So the legacy of Gran Rey Cero lives on... How inspiring!" Soichiro raised his arms with happiness.

"Gran Rey Cero? Wait. Isn't that just a legend?" The female Espada asked.

"How sad it is to hear that the newer generations know nothing about their past... But fret not! T-Though I know it's not your fault! I apologize if I sound rude..."

"What? Are you saying those stories were real?!" Grimmjow asked, growing anxious.

"But of course they were! I-I mean... I don't really know what you've heard, but Gran Rey Cero is real! He found me and my brother when we were just a Vasto Lorde. We were named Cuarta and Tercera Espada by him, personally. We saw first-hand how he founded the Espada in fact. That was the best of times..." Soichiro daydreamed.

"So we can assume... You two were Hollows, and to be precise, Espada, just like us..." Harribel tried to put the pieces together.

"That would be correct, Miss...?" He asked for her name.

"Harribel. Tier Harribel"

"A beautiful name, though... It sounds foreign. In my years, everyone had very different ones" He recalled.

"How strange. All of our names are likewise. In fact, I haven't heard a name like yours from a single Hollow. Those names are used by Shinigami" She replied, intrigued.

"More importantly, how did you guys end up as Demons?" Grimmjow asked.

"That is a more... Sensitive topic. I'm not really comfortable explaining it all, but I can summarize that... It was for revenge. Revenge against the Gods that massacred and devastated the world our majesty, Gran Rey Cero, shaped with his own efforts and ideals"

"So... You want to destroy the Old Gods" Harribel deduced. "Even at the cost of your own kin?"

"Please don't say that. We spared the life of countless Hollows. I, personally, did not kill a single one, although to say the truth... The only kin I have left is my brother" He said with a more serious tone.

"Is that so? *sigh* I guess it was foolish of me to expect something else when even Hollows have killed each other for countless years" Harribel admitted sadly.

"It's a pity... But that's also those Gods' fault. Gran Rey Cero had unified Hueco Mundo under his command. Hollows had attained a lifestyle similar to Soul Society's, but I guess they didn't like that..." Soichiro said bitterly.

"For what you're saying, those Gods truly deserve the hate you and your brother have for them. But... I think it wouldn't be worth it if we're sacrificing our home and our fellow Hollows in order to punish them" Grimmjow sensibly said, to Harribel's surprise.

"That's right. If those Gods ever want to mess with us again, we'll give them a proper response, but in this moment... Getting back Hueco Mundo and taking care of what we have is the path we've decided to follow" Harribel agreed, determined to fight for her beliefs.

"I understand... We shall face each other to see whose ideas shall prevail" Soichiro concluded. "Please, don't think it's personal... B-But, I won't hold back"

"Show me what you got then!" Grimmjow said as he sprinted towards him.

"_Prologue_" Soichiro said, as a source of black and red Reiatsu seemed to flow from the lyre, dancing around him at the rythm sound of his music.

"Huh? Is he... Playing music?" Harribel thought intrigued.

They didn't know much music. Hueco Mundo didn't have many materials to make instruments, and neither Hollows nor Arrancar really practiced artistic activities. However, they did have an idea of what music was, and some even sung melodies if they felt like it. In fact, there were a couple traditional songs known throughout Hueco Mundo, but nobody really cared about it.

"_Rondo_" He proceeded to play a different melody.

As soon as the new music was heard, a vortex of the same Reiatsu was created an dispatched at Grimmjow.

"What is that?" He thought.

"Grimmjow, move!" Harribel told him.

He did as she said, not wanting to test his luck against the unknown enemy and his mysterious attacks.

"_S__cherzo_" He proceeded to say, playing a new set of notes on his instrument.

Cutting streams of the same black and red Reiatsu were thrown at the two Espada, who not only had trouble dodging them but also were forced to step back.

"If we can't get close to him... Maybe a range attack will work" Grimmjow thought.

"Hey Grimmjow, maybe a..." Tier started saying.

"..._Cero_ will do the job" He completed. "We thought the same, didn't we?"

"Y-Yeah..." She slightly blushed, but immediately pointed her palm at the Duke.

"Let's go! _Cero_!" The two attacked, Grimmjow with a red one and Harribel with a yellow one.

The two beams tangled at a tremendous speed and merged a couple meters before hitting Soichiro, creating an orange _Cero_.

"_Berceuse_" The Duke said, playing a slower and more tender melody on his angelic instrument.

The Reiatsu circled around him in a protective way as he played, guarding him from the blast.

"Dammit! That guy can do anything just by playing that thing" Grimmjow said.

"It's true. We're gonna have to think of a better strategy if we want to harm him in any way" Harribel agreed.

"Yeah. It's time to get serious... Grind, **_Pantera_**!" Grimmjow went into his _Resurrección_.

"Hunt, **_Tiburón_**" She did likewise.

"Wow, you also attained _Resurrecció__n. _Me and my brother had a hard time getting it. It's almost sad that by becoming Demons we lost them, but not completely. When I release my Onibuki, you'll see that there still is a bit of _Pegaso_ in me" Soichiro said.

"Grimmjow, I need you to distract him. If he focuses his attacks on you, I may be able to finish him in one blow. We cannot risk losing later if he uses his release" She told her partner.

"Sure. I'll see what I can do. Don't lower your guard for one second though" He recommended.

"I never do" She smiled tenderly behind her mask, but Grimmjow could tell just by the look in her eyes.

The panther Arrancar moved towards his enemy doing a zig-zag pattern to avoid any attacks. Not even with his speed upgrade was this an easy task,but he managed well enough.

Like Harribel predicted, there was a limit to the area of attack Soichiro had, and Grimmjow was forcing him to go both ti the limit of area and speed.

If she could attack him before he used a protective melody, this battle would be won.

"Time to end this" She thought, using _Sonido_ to get to Soichiro's blind spot in an instant.

"It's over. **_Cascada_**" She said as she blasted the gigantic torrent of water atSoichiro from point blank range.

"_Silenci__o_" Soichiro said as he suddenly stopped playing the Lyre, and every attack, both his and Harribel's, ceased to exist, as if reality itself had swallowed them.

"What?!" She couldn't believe her strategy failed in such an unfair and inexplicable way.

"You thought I had forgotten about you?" Soichiro said. "How sad... My crowd is my soul. The music I play, is meant to be heard by you, even if you are my enemies. If I wasn't taking into account the existence of every one of the individuals at my _Concerto_, how would I be able to move them all with my music?"

"What... What did you do?" She asked confused.

"Fufufu... You really think I would give away such an important detail? I cannot simply reveal what makes my music this way, can I?"

"Tch... Whatever, if a Reiryoku based attack won't do, then I'll just have to cut you with my blade!" Harribel replied, swinging her great white sword.

"Oh no" Soichiro muttered, trying to dodge the blade.

"Where are you looking?" Grimmjow asked him from behind, slashing the air. "**_Desgarrón_**"

The blue slashes went right at him, making his mind collapse.

"No! _S-Silencio_!" He said, doing the same strategy.

Just as Harribel thought, Grimmjow's _Desgarrón_ was completely erased by his ability, but her blade wasn't stopped.

Soichiro felt the agony of having a massive claymore going through his body. He spat blood, and felt as life left him, but... This couldn't end this way.

"It's... True..." He said with difficulty. "Some songs... Have great abrupt ends... But... In the end... The most epic... Masterpieces... Can only... Have a... _Gran Finale_"

"Is his will so strong that he can remain conscious?" She thought.

Soichiro played all the strings in his lyre. "Compose... **_Amduscias_**"

The black and red Reiatsu exploded once again, forcing Harribel to get away.

"Tier!" Grimmjow called as he went back to her side.

"I'm alright... I managed to get away just in time..."

"What is he...?"

"It seems we're gonna have to see these Demon's release ourselves anyway" She bit her lip.

The pilar of Reiatsu that had exploded started dissipating, only to let them see their enemy's ttue form.

His horn grew a bit more, his body became muscular, though it still seemed to have normal proportions. In his back, two giant black feathered wings grew, which made them understand what he meant earlier about his _Resurrección_.

He descended from the air to play a grand piano that appeared below him.

"Now, the improvisation is over. It's time to play the main Concerto... _Prelude_"

As he played the notes of the masterpiece known as Prelude Op. 28 No. 24, Harribel and Grimmjow freezed.

Their bodies could simply not move as he played. It didn't matter how much they tried, but even their mind was being filled by the beautiful music. It sounded so powerful, so violent, and yet so magnificent.

As he used his fist to play the last three fortississimos, the dark Reiatsu filled the entire room, turning it into a concert hall.

A crowd of balck and red shadows clapped.

"I hope you like this selection, cause it was made only for you" Soichiro said, preparing his hand for another song.

"What is going on?" Grimmjow thought, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation.

"Grimmjow, we can move!" Harribel called hus attention.

"Oh, great. But that doesn't change the fact that I don't even understand what the fuck is going on"

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you two understand my _Concerto_ to its full extent... _Étude_!"

As soon as he started playing the melody of Étude Op. 10 No. 4, attacks seemed to come and go all over the place.

"What is this power?!" Harribel thought, barely evading the attacks. "Like, in terms of sheer spiritual pressure, I can see how dangerous these attacks must be, but I can't figure out what's the _source_ of it"

Grimmjow simply ran and jumped around, trying to get closer to Soichiro.

"If I destroy that thing... He'll be defenseless!" He thought with a grin as he got closer.

Soichiro finished, and seeing how Grimmjow got close, he decided to play Étude Op. 10 No. 12.

Shadow soldiers were formed, carrying bayonettes and charging towards the Sexta Espada.

"Huh? What are those things?"

The raging souls of fallen warriors in a revolution were summoned by Soichiro's playing.

Grimmjow tried to slash the shadow warriors with his claws, but he went right through them.

"Pfft... Are these mere illusions?" He mocked.

The Duke smiled at that phrase.

One of the soldiers stabbed Grimmjow in the back the second he didn't pay attention.

"What the...?!" He was caught by surprise.

"Grimmjow!" Harribel called his name, worried as her fellow Espada bled a bit.

"Are you kidding me? Even through my Hierro?!"

As the song finished however, the shadows disappeared.

"_Mazurka_" Soichiro played a new piece, this time, it was one of his own, though he did compose it in honour of Chopin.

Stakes of darkness appeared from the ground, menacing to continue stabbing him.

"Not today!" Grimmjow said as he jumped away.

Harribel decided to throw a barrage of _La Gota _to attack, only to be blocked by more shadowy Reiatsu.

"What's with this place?" She thought frustrated. "It's like, we're subdued to his wishes..."

Soichiro finished the song, followed by another round of applause and ovation from his invisible crowd.

"Thank you, thank you... But, I think it's time for something really special" Soichiro stood from his seat. "_Magnum Opus I: Ouverture"_

A complete orchestra manifested in the hall. Violins, cellos, double-basses, trumpets, clarinets, you name it! Everything suddenly appeared, ready to take the orders of Soichiro.

As soon as he started moving his hands, an introduction started playing. It was a beautiful yet tragic sound [listen to the beggining of "Piano Concerto #1, Allegro Maestoso"].

From the instruments, musical notes came out, and in a violent way towards the two Espada.

"Not again..." The two pouted.

While the symphony played, the Arrancar couldn't even get close to Soichiro. The notes, for some reason, were also able to harm them if they touched their skin, just like the lances of the warriors who fought Grimmjow.

"It's too risky to try to approach him like this..." Harribel told him.

"It may be, but what else can we do? I don't know about you, but I'm gonna keep trying, although I didn't want to use this so soon..." He replied. "_Resurrección: **Segunda Etapa**__" _

Grimmjow changed into his most powerful form, not willing to give up.

"Wish me luck, Tier..." He told her with a grin full of adrenaline.

"G-Grimmjow!"

He rushed over to try to attack him. In his wild rush. some notes touched him and made him bleed, but it wasn't enough to stop him.

"_Cero Eléctrico!" _He said as he attacked Soichiro.

Some of the shadow musicians disappeared to form a barrier around Soichiro as he kept commanding his ghostly orchestra.

"Tch..." He grinded his teeth as he realized that his attack didn't work. "Guess he really is number III..."

Harribel had stood still for a moment, simply looking as Grimmjow advanced and tried his best to harm the Demon.

"What am I doing? Grimmjow is weaker than I am, and yet I'm standing idly as he risks his life!" She thought as she decided to support him. "_Resurrección__: **Segunda Etapa**__"_

"So they discovered _that_ as well" Soichiro thought.

The piece finished, but instead of applause, Soichiro proceeded to the next phase.

"_Magnum Opus II: Sonata"_

Once again, the darkness filled the room with dangerous notes, though this time, some of them exploded dangerously if they got too close.

"Why do only some of them explode?" Grimmjow asked, avoiding one of the explosive notes.

"Listen for a moment" Tier replied, joining him. "Only the strong sounding parts create those notes. We may know almost nothing about music, but I can somehow feel that's the reason"

"What do you think we should do? I'm no good at strategy..." He admitted.

"Last time, some of those shadow guys disappeared to protect him. Maybe if we make them all disappear, he won't have any way of protecting himself"

"I see..."

The idea in fact, was very simple. However, it was easier said than done. Blasting a powerful attack, even from a distance, was difficult if they had to avoid getting hit by the notes.

"Grimmjow would be bleeding pretty badly if it wasn't for his transformation" She thought. "Don't do anything reckless though, only attack if you see an opening"

"Okay, okay... I got it" He frowned.

They continued moving around the place, dodging Soichiro's attacks in the nick of time.

The music sounded more tragic at this point, building up to something far more sinister.

"And for the _Gran Finale_... _Magnum Opus III: **Requiem**__"_ A Choir of Spirits appeared to sing along the shadow orchestra in order to end it all.

As soon as the music started, bot Grimmjow and Harribel felt weird.

"What is this...?" He spat, with a hint of fear. "I feel... Like I'm going to die"

"G-Grimmjow... I feel the same. I don't know why, I don't understand but... I feel so afraid" She embraced herself and fell to the ground.

Only then, they noticed that there were no longer notes attacking them. There were no shadows embracing them. There was no apparent danger and yet, they felt as if this moment was one of life and death.

"Grimmjow..." She said weakly as she shivered. "Please, hold me. I want to stay alive, but everything about this place doesn't feel right. I don't wanna die, but suddenly I'm frightened for my life. I... Want to say goodbye, this could be the last time you see me alive. I may not survive, knew it from the moment we arrived..." She lost all hope in her emerald eyes.

Grimmjow however held her tightly, not having a drop of doubt inside his heart.

"Don't give me that crap!" He snapped. "We feel like we could die? So what?! We are Hollows, Tier. All our lives we've been on the brink of death. We were just lucky to have the strength to not be the ones to disappear... But even so, nothing has changed"

"Y-You... You are right!" Her eyes regained their color.

"Look, Tier... You are strong, awfully strong! Far stronger than I am..." He admitted a bit bitterly. "I know you're not like this, I've always admired how composed you are in fact, so it's clear that this is the work of that guy..."

"Grimmjow..." She blushed at his words.

"Let's do this. I can't breach his defenses, but I know _you_ can, so please, give me a chance, and I'll end it for you"

"Okay. I think I may be able to do it for just a moment, so make sure to finish him"

"Don't worry. I won't fail" He replied as he prepared to sprint faster than ever in his life.

"Get ready... I'm sure, not even him will be able to escape this" She said, preparing her blade and raising her Reiatsu. "**_Mar_**_**ejada**!__"_

She sliced the air with her giant claymore and originated a gigantic wave.

Like thought, the shadow musicians started joining forces to protect Soichiro from the tremendous attack, but was it enough?

"What? They shouldn't be able to move as the fear of death consumes them, so how?" The Duke thought confused as he controlled the instruments with his powers so they keot playing despite lacking a musician.

The wave and the shadows were clashing, almost equal in strength, but not truly. In the end, Harribel's attack was slightly more powerful, so it barely managed to break a sectikn of the barrier.

"Now!" She commanded.

Grimmjow entered through the crack in a flash, directing a devastating attack at Soichiro.

"No..." The Demon muttered.

"**_Colmillo Salvaje_**" Grimmjow said as the head of a panther appeared around him with an electric blue Reiatsu and crunched Soichiro with its fangs.

The Requiem had been played. What he didn't know, that it was not announcing the death of his enemies, but his own death instead.

The concert hall dissapeared and they returned to the Palace's main room.

"Wow... You defeated me..." He had been cut in half, only his torso and up remaining. His horn had been broken and his wings consumed by electricty. "I guess... You understood... The truth... Behind my power... *cough* *cough*"

"Huh?" Grimmjow replued confused. "What truth? We just sorted out that the situation you put us in was no different from the situation we've faced our whole lives"

"Is that so...? Fufu..."

"I think I figured it out. It was all an illusion wasn't it?" Harribel asked.

"What?!" Grimmjow asked, not believing his ears. "How would that be an illusion after all the damage we took?!"

"Because the attacks we saw didn't truly harm us. What they did, was use our own Reiryoku to trigger physical reactions in our bodies" Harribel explained.

"How do you explain how he protected from _our_ attacks then?" Grimmjow thought he found a flaw in her theory.

"Simple. The only real Reiatsu he manifested was that of his musicians. Because of this, he needed to sacrifice them in order to not receive damage. As for the way he used it before releasing his sword, it was merely by sound. The sound made our Reiatsu flow in a way that benefited him for different situations, though that had its limits" She replied.

"You truly are... A smart woman..." Soichiro praised. "Indeed... Music _is_ an illusion... A wonderful dream... A beautiful fantasy... But one I... Dedicated my whole life to..." He admitted.

"You were a formidable enemy" Harribel told him.

"Really?" He looked up, and then smiled sadly. "Thank you... I'm sorry... Aniki... But I promise... We'll always... Be... Together... Just... Remember... Never... Lose... These... Lights... Never... Close... It..." He whispered as his body turned into a black ash and disappeared completely.

As soon as his being ceased to exist, the next Duke jumped from above and fell right in front of them.

His blue skin and muscular shape gave him a dangerous aura. He truly seemed stronger than his brother, and his long sharp horn proved that as well.

"The second!" Grimmjow frowned. "As the Demon you are, I bet you are disappointed that your little brother failed to kill us"

The Demon stood silent, looking at the spot from where his brother disappeared.

"If you won't say anything, I guess we can go ahead and end this" Harribel added.

The humanoid unicorn-like being let a single silver tear slide from one of his amber orange eyes.

The two Espada were just shocked to see this.

"*sigh* You were always seeking crowd, swearing in fear..." He sighed with melancholy. "Please, don't think that I have anything against you" He said in a more sure and deeper voice than his brother. "We earned this ourselves. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. I always knew we were idiots for falling to Yama's promise, but we were blinded by our thirst for vengeance"

"So you... Don't have any real reason to fight us?" Harribel asked.

"No. In fact, I would even be willing to help you defeat him" He started saying. "However, with my brother gone... There is no reason to keep living. You see, the price of immortality is ironically, the immortality we have as souls. There is no more cycle of Human, Soul and Hollow anymore. You're just a Demon, and as such, our deaths are ultimate. We are the true mortals of this universe"

"So that means..." Grimmjow deduced.

"Exactly. Soichiro is gone... For evermore"

"And now, you want to die?" Harribel asked.

"Yes. I wish to join my brother into that world of nothingness. Into the so called... _Nevermore_" Koichiro answered.

"Be my guest" Grimmjow said, preparing an attack to erase him instantly.

"Sorry, but I wish to die fighting you. Otherwise, it would not be fair to my brother..." He looked at the space sadly again.

"Give me a break..." Grimmjow facepalmed. "Just when I thought we wouldn't have to fight you... Well, whatever, I'm always up for a good fight. And you _are_ the second Duke. This is a chance that comes only once in a thousand lifetimes!" He actually got fired up.

"If there is no helping it..." Harribel agreed.

"Thank you for understanding. I'll make it as quick as possible" He said as he got his blade out. "Wait for me, Soichiro..."

"Here he comes" The two Espada thought.

"Rise up... **_Beelzebub_**"

His sword became a swarm of flies that engulfed him. The swarm grew larger and larger, until it dispersed, revealing a horrible giant Demon. It grew the four wings of a fly on its back and had two eyes of the same insect as well. His horn came out, leaving his horse head, but losing the essence of unicorn he had.

"This one looks strong..." Grimmjow grinned.

"It seems that we're gonna have to surpass our limits if we want to survive" Harribel said, determined to win. "Do you still have an ace up your sleeve, Grimmjow?"

"If you're asking about a special attack or somethin' of sorts... Nah. But I can always improvise" He carelessly replied.

"No, we need a plan. Let's have a look at his abilities and then we will decide a strategy" Harribel stopped him, worried that those words would be his last.

Koichiro opened his giant mouth and let a couple giant flies out.

"What are those?" Grimmjow asked.

"Those are blood-sucking flies" Koichiro replied with a monstrous voice. "I don't recommend that you let them do so, or else you will be infected"

"Oh great, now we have to deal with disease-carrying blood-sucking insects" The Espada said sarcastically.

"Let's kill them all" Harribel said determined, as she prepared her blaster-like blade to shoot her new power. "_Cero Volcánico_"

The beam and its heat erased the flies effortlessly, but that left her open for an attack.

Koichiro appeared behind her, and prepared to stab her with a long two-pointed polearm.

"Tier!" Grimmjow shouted as he saw the attack and countered with a powerful kick.

"What? So fast?" Harribel thought, realizing that she didn't even notice when the giant Demon disappeared from her sight. "T-Thanks Grimmjow, I couldn't see him move"

"Don't worry, that's why we're fighting together" He replied. "Normally, I'd hate fighting alongside anyone, but I have to admit that there's not much of a choice this time... Besides, as long as it's you, I guess I don't really care"

"I also used to believe people other than my Fracción were just a bother, but it's all about understanding the way each one fights. As long as we know each other's style, we should have no problem fighting together"

Koichiro flew away in less than a second and hit the ground with his Onibuki.

"_Tower of Flies_" He said as a tremendous structure of stone rose from the sand, surrounded by a countless amount of small flies.

"That doesn't look good, stay on guard" Harribel ordered.

"Understood" Grimmjow replied.

Suddenly, the whole area was filled with the flies, and they were not illusions. They felt as if they were inside a sandstorm, but instead of sand, there were billions of flies flying all over the place.

The two rose their elemental Reiatsu in order to keep themselves untouched by them and being able to breathe, but even then, they couldn't see a single thing around them, and some of the insects actually managed to harm them.

"Fucking... Flies!" Grimmjow cursed.

Even worse, the flies started forming an organized swarm, one that turned into a hand.

"What the heck?" Grimmjow muttered as the fist of flies attempted to punch him.

He evaded the attack, only to be surprised by another fist that came from behind.

He was tossed harshly into the sand, and the other hand menaced to crush him against it.

"No, Grimmjow!" Harribel came to his aid, spitting flames from her blade-cannon. "_Lanzallamas_"

"I didn't remember you could do that" Grimmjow said surprised.

"Although water is my main element, don't forget about my _Hirviendo_ and volcanic-based attacks. Where do you think the heat comes from?"

"True that" He agreed.

Without another single second to talk, the swarm came back to engulf them in another storm, blinding them.

This time, Koichiro decided to stab them while they were in that situation.

Just by instinct, the two Espada managed to dodge his first attempts, but as time progressed, this task was getting harder and harder. Even worse, Koichiro sent squads of the bigger poisonous flies at them, increasing the danger.

Harribel kept the flies at a distance with her flames, but it was just not enough.

"Dammit!" She thought as the insects continued to circle around them. "If only I could create more fire..."

On cue, a giant orb of heat descended upon tge swarm, scorching about half of the flies.

"Huh?" Koichiro looked surprised.

"What is...? Is that you, Tier?" Grimmjow asked her in shock.

"No, I have no idea where that came from!" She replied, equally astonished.

"Looks like we made it just in time" A man said.

"I can't even imagine how strong this Demon is for these two to need our help" A girl replied.

"Those voices... Aren't they part of those weird masked Shinigami?" Grimmjow recognized them.

Lisa agitated her _Haguro Tonbo_ to both blow the flies away as well as increase the area of Love's attack.

"The correct term is Vizard, and I think it's a bit rude to call us weird when Arrancar are the same but reversed" She corrected.

"Like I care!" The male Espada spat.

"Grimmjow..." Harribel gave him a dread look.

"Okay, okay... Sorry" He apologized.

"Apology accepted..." Lisa sighed, and looked at Harribel as if saying "Thank you"

"Anyways... What are we gonna do to finish this guy off?" Love asked. "You two must've been fighting him for a while so... Any ideas?"

"Our best bet at this point is simply overwhelming him in some way. Maybe if we all used our strongest attacks, something would work" Harribel proposed.

"Yeah, we did the same with the 6th Duke a while ago. It's all we can do" Lisa replied

"Let's do it then!" Grimmjow said, eager to unleash his power upon the enemy.

Koichiro, looking at them, decided to give it his best shot, just like his brother.

"**_Butterfly Place_**_" _He said as a white mist covered the place.

"Huh? What is happening...?" They all wondered.

The flies had suddenly disappeared, so that black butterflies with rainbow wings would take their place.

"_Butterfly __Bullet_" Koichiro pointed his polearm at them, sacrificing butterflies to shoot a ricochet of bullets with butterfly wings.

The bullets not only flew at an immense speed, but also changed into elemental attacks as they flew through the air.

Fire red bullets. Wind green bullets. Ice blue bullets. Water indigo bullets. Electric yellow bullets. Orange rock bullets. Poison violet bullets.

Every colour of the rainbow had a respective bullet that could cause massive damage. But in addition to that, Koichiro proved that he wasn't done yet.

He sacrificed a whole group of butterflies to do one devastating attack.

"_Energy White_ _Bullet_" He said as he shot a giant beam of white light at them.

The beam erased everything on its path, but thankfully, the team avoided it and encircled Koichiro.

"Now you've got nowhere to run, but then again, you _do_ wish to die, don't you?" Grimmjow spat with a mixture of irony and anger.

"Yes. But I cannot die, not until I've consumed the last ounce of Reiryoku I have left!" Koichiro growled.

"Show me then!" Grimmjow dared.

"_Void Black_ _Bullet_"

A small black hole appeared in front of them, menacing to swallow and vanish them into an unknown fate.

"Wow, this Demon is truly something else" Lisa thought.

"This place has become small" Koichiro said. "We need to bring this to a new level... To the border of life and death... But for that... Soichiro... Please give me the strength to go even further! GIVE ME A PLAN TO RELINE!"

An aura of energy covered Koichiro. His horrible Demonic body started shattering, like the cocoon of a beautiful butterfly.

Once the carcass was broken, enveloped in a grey aura with rainbow shines, was Koichiro, turned back into a small unicorn headed humanoid being, but with a luminous grey body with giant angelic wings, one white and one black. His eyes were also halved. His left eye was amber, like it used to be, but his right eye was sapphire, like his brother's.

"This... This is not the power of a Demon! This has nothing to do with my stupid Onibuki! This...! This is the power of both of our _Resurrección _combined! My _Unicornio_ and your _Pegaso_..." Koichiro smiled with happiness. "Now I understand. It was impossible for you to leave this world without me... After all, we were one being before we became _Arrancar_. You were always with me and I was always with you, even if we didn't realize it. I couldn't be happier to know this now, even if I'm about to die... I'll make sure that these Arrancar have what it takes to protect the world we loved back then... Just look!"

He commanded a group of his now upgraded Chaos butterflies to destroy the ceiling.

"Now... Can you help me write the conclusion to my suicide note?" He asked his four "enemies".

"Wha-?" Lisa was about to ask.

"I'll explain _that_ later" Harribel replied sadly.

"In short, he wishes to die, but in a goddamn complicated way" Grimmjow summarized.

No one truly understood what had just happened, so they decided to follow him and fulfill his wish.

They all flew beyond the palace, into the artificial sky inside of Las Noches.

"No, this won't do..." He thought as he looked at the space. "We need to go over the top" He snapped his fingers, on which command a swarm of his Chaos butterflies destroyed all that was left of the celing of Las Noches. "Far better... Like in the old times"

The four partners flew to his altitude and stood in the air, right in front of him.

"Are you all ready?" Koichiro asked them.

"Let's do this!" Lisa said determined.

"Yeah" Love agreed.

"Ready when you are, Tier" Grimmjow told her.

"Perfect, cause that would be now!" She replied, ready for the final showdown.

The swarm of Chaos butterflies flew behind Koichiro, waiting his orders.

"If only I could've used this power before" Koichiro thought. "Anyway... This final display of power goes in the names of you all: Soichiro (**4**), Yukari-sama (**2**), Nageki-san (**1**), and of course you... Gran Rey Cero (**0**)"

"Here goes nothing..." Grimmjow thought.

"_**Bullet Hell**!" _Koichiro said as a rain of Chaos butterflies turned into bullets and blasts of all kinds.

The chance of getting hit was probably more than a 90% and yet, they were all doing their best to fight back.

The Vizards used the remaining power of their _Bankai_ to attack from the distance, while Grimmjow and Harribel...

"_Gran Rey Cero_" Grimmjow bit his hand on purpose to make it bleed and shoot the gigantic blue laser.

"_Gran Reina Cero_" Harribel cut her hand on her blade and let the blood flow through it to blast the enormous yellow beam.

Koichiro tried to overpower all attacks with his bullets, but the attacks were cancelled out.

"Wow... So we are evenly matched under these circumstances... Fascinating" He thought as the scenery was covered in smoke.

Love appeared from above when he least expected it and hit him with his club.

"Now go!" He told the others, not wanting to miss the chance.

"I know! Grimmjow, the rain combo!" Harribel reminded her friend.

"Oh, great idea! Oi, Vizard girl! Can you pin him to the ground with somethin'?"

"I'll see what I can do" Lisa replied, bracing herself. "**_Tonbo no saishuu hikou_**_!"_

She didn't have enough energy to create a siege of Nodachis, so she concentrated on creating one single big and very powerful Nodachi to do as Grimmjow asked her.

The Nodachi pierced Koichiro through the chest and started throwing him right into the sand, three thousand meters below.

Harribel pointed her gun at the same place where he was falling, in order to do the first step of one of the special combos she made with Grimmjow thanks to their _Segunda Etapa_.

"_Inundación_" She said as she exploded a gigantic amount of water that fell quicker than Koichiro. As a result, the sands below were filled with an instant sea created by her attack.

Koichiro fell into the water, still immobilized by Lisa's attack.

"I wonder what they'll do next... Cause I think, they have what it takes" He thought.

Grimmjow, just before falling into the water, decided to use his attack.

"_**Colmillo Salvaje**!"_

The whole mass of water conducted his electricity, immediately increasing the destructive power of his attack, which only toasted him a little because of the power overload.

For one last time, the life of the Duke flashed before his eyes, in a single second that passed like ten thousand days.

"I'm coming... Nii-san" Koichiro said with a smile, as his immortal life finally came to an end. Not in a pool of blood. Not in a river of pain and not in a sea of sorrow either...

...But in a firework of rainbow, amber and sapphire.

~~~~X~~~~

**Damn, I had a blast writing this one! The music references I added thanks to Soichiro made it so fun for me, haha.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Excellent chapter! I loved it! Great work! I wonder what shall happen next? Especially seeing as next chapter will most likely focus on Grimmjow and Harribel! Still, that V Duke was creepy as heck!_**

**Reply: I don't know if it met your expectations, but here is our dear Espada's chapter. If you found V scary now, buckle up, cause things will get even scarier when it comes back (though there will be a while before that).**

**Like always, I hope you all liked how this chapter turned out. See you next time! When we'll be suffering Unto The Locust (kudos if you get that reference) with Ichigo and Nel.**

**Evhron out.**

**PD: Soichiro's name is in honour of Soichiro Mizuno, an amazing guitarist, as well as the composer of Tulpa (aka the best song in Takenawa Intrigue). The IIII is because, since Soichiro and Koichiro were one in the end, it's like there was two number IIs (II plus II = IIII ).**

**Glossary:**

**_Rondo: _****A typical musical form from the 17th century.**

**_Scherzo: _****A short composition, normally part of a greater work.**

**_Berceuse__:_ A lullaby.**

**_Silencio_: Silence, in music notation.**

**_Prelude_: ****An introductory piece of music. In this case, it refers to a piano prelude.**

**_Étude: _A short complex instrumental piece of music, created with the purpose of studying and perfecting a technique or skill in particular.**

**_Mazurka: _Polish folk dance.**

**_Magnum Opus: _****The greatest masterpiece of an artist.**

**_Ouverture: _instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, etc.**

**_Sonata: _instrumental piece (opposed to a Cantata)**

**_Requiem: _Piece of music meant to be played because of someone's death.**

**_Colmillo Salvaje: _translated to Wild Fang. Also, an amazing song by Janne Da Arc.**

**_Lanzallamas: _Flamethrower.**

**_Pegaso: _Pegasus.**

**_Unicornio: _Unicorn.**

**_Gran Reina Cero: _Great Queen Cero. Again, a Gran Rey Cero, but called different to show Tier's girl-power and stuff lol.**

**_Inundación__: _Flood.**

**_Mare__jada__:_ Spanish for a Tsunami****-like effect that produces great floods in coasts.**


	15. I - Locust

"And so, only the last Duke remains" Ulquiorra said amused. "I thought it would come to this eventually, but I never imagined your friends would pull it off so smoothly"

"Cifer-kun... How powerful is the last one?" Orihime asked worried.

"How strong is Arikado indeed?" He digressed. "Probably no one knows for certain, but he will surely give those two a good fight"

In the projection, Nel and Ichigo were crossing the desert, almost at the entrance of Ulquiorra's new Palace.

"Please, be careful Kurosaki-kun, Nel-san..." She wished inside her mind.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to leave" Ulquiorra got up.

"Huh? Where are you going?"

"I don't plan to fight Kurosaki Ichigo in this place. Just look at the mess those Demons made during their fights"

In fact, almost every Palace had been reduced to debris and the whole rooftop of Las Noches had been destroyed, leaving only the black sky and the crescent moon as ceiling.

"But... What about me? Don't leave me alone, please... Or else, who knows if another one of those Demons comes and takes me away!" She begged.

"Don't worry. I prepared thoroughly for this event. In fact, I've been planning this fight for far too long to miss such an important detail" He replied to calm her down. "You are coming with me" He took her by the hand gently.

"Huh? C-Cifer-kun, wait!"

"What's the matter?" He gazed at her with a confused look.

"I... I don't understand what you're trying to do!"

"That's point..."

"It's not pointless! You said you would kill Kurosaki-kun! Do you really think I would simply watch as you take his life away?!"

"You won't have other choice. After all... I need you, in order to face the one who truly killed me. The one who I really want to fight... Is the Hollow inside him. I want to know who he is. I want to understand what he is. I need to uncover the mystery behind that being!"

"What?" Orihime became curious at that confession. "What is wrong...? With his Hollow?"

"That creature... It's not like any Hollow I've ever seen. It was fierce, wild and yet highly intelligent. Its strength... Was simply out of this world"

"So that's what you really intended..." She frowned, realizing what killing Ichigo really meant. "I... I'm not helping you"

"Why? Even after I told you the truth... You are telling me you don't want to cooperate?"

"Of course not! That being... That Hollow is not Kurosaki-kun!" Her eyes let small tears appear as she remembered the past. "I know that the last thing he wants is becoming that monster again! Besides... Who knows what might happen? Last time we were lucky, but what if he never returns to being the same one? What if you are killed by him?"

"It's a risk I'm willing to take"

"Well I'm not! You're playing with fire, Ulquiorra!" She called him by his first name, trying to make him reason.

Ulquiorra could see a dreadful despair in Orihime's eyes. He understood, that she would not help him. Not now. Not in a million years. Not once in eternity.

"I understand" He sighed. "You do not wish to take part in this, and I won't force you. I imagine... Friends don't do that kind of thing"

"Cifer-kun..."

"But I'm afraid that I have yet another way of getting that Hollow out. It won't be easy, but I can say with certainty that it will work"

"What... What do I have to say to make you dessist from that idea?!" She slapped him, crying. "I want to be your friend, I really do... But I simply can't, not if you're gonna do such a despicable thing!"

Ulquiorra closed his eyes with a sad look. "Then I guess... We cannot be friends anymore"

"Huh?"

"Thank you for everything you taught me about the heart. Right now... It's hurting, and I perfectly understand why... Wonderful" He smiled as he realized that. "Enclose... Murciélago"

He turned into his normal Resurrección.

"Cifer-kun..." She felt a heavy sadness in her heart, seeing how feeling that sorrow made Ulquiorra happy.

"Well. I'm going to take you to a group of friends that can protect you. Just heal them and they'll be as good as new... " He said as he picked her up bridal style.

"W-What?" She asked in a cute yet awkward way.

Ulquiorra silently exited the Palace and fled the area with an elegant yet high-speed flight.

He didn't want to leave her, but there was no other choice. If she wasn't willing to help him, it was possible she would suffer a terrible fate, one that not even him could control.

Orihime thought such a rush would mean a rough journey, but it was surprisingly enjoyable. Ulquiorra used his Reiatsu so that the air wouldn't bother her at that speed. No Demons even got close to them as they went through the air above the desert, although that probably was due to their numbers dropping to practically zero during the heroes' assault.

"This Reiatsu is...!" Orihime suddenly felt a known source.

A second later, they were standing next to Chad and Uryuu, who were back on their feet and moving towards the final Palace, despite their wounds.

"I'm sorry..." Ulquiorra whispered as he carefully left her in the sand.

"You!" Ishida called his attention, clearly recognizing him.

"Orihime! What did you do to her?!" Chad wanted an explanation.

"I'm sorry" He said once more, not even looking at the other two, who were clearly preparing to fight him.

In a flash, Ulquiorra disappeared from their sight, flying towards a much more meaningful place for his rematch with Ichigo and his Hollow.

"Hey, Orihime! Are you alright?" Chad went to her immediately, helping her get up, although she didn't really need it.

"What was that all about?" Uryuu asked.

"Sado-kun! Ishida-kun! I-I'm alright..." She replied, though she was still saddened by what happened earlier.

"Really? He didn't do anything weird, right?" Ishida insisted.

"W-Weird?! W-What do you mean?" She blushed.

"I don't know, like stealing your Reiatsu or take advantage of your powers in some way..."

"Oh that..." She said in relief. "No, nothing at all. He... He didn't do me any harm"

"So he didn't lie about that at least..." Chad sighed, feeling a lot better. "Why did he bring you to us? What is he planning?"

"I guess he didn't need me anymore... I... I now know what he wants to achieve" She revealed.

"Really? What is he scheming?" Ishida asked in a rush.

"He... He wants to wake... The Hollow inside Ichigo... Just like the last time, Ishida-kun" She replied, with difficulty.

"What? No... It can't be...!" Ishida murmured.

~~~~X~~~~

"What the?! Is that... Ulquiorra?!" Ichigo said as he noticed the silhouette of the bat-like Espada soaring through the dark sky.

"It seems he is? Is he possibly... Fleeing?" Nel theorized, although it didn't make sense in any way.

"Not if I can stop him"

Ichigo jumped, decided to take him down, when a hurricane of slashing green wind stopped him.

"I can't let you do that" A male voice said, appearing from the eye of the hurricane.

"Tch... I knew this would happen, but I was expecting to find you at the Palace" Ichigo replied.

The wind dissapeared, allowing them to see the Duke.

He had long red hair and blue eyes. His fair skin looked smooth and pure, and he had an air of sofisticafion around him, possibly due to his clothes.

"You must be the strongest, aren't you?" Nel asked him.

"Power is relative. Many Dukes never showed their true potential, so it's hard to say... But if you're asking about my number, yes... I am the first Duke, Arikado"

"And your sword's name... Is Abaddon" Ichigo remembered Urahara's words.

"That's correct. I am surprised that you knew the name of my Onibuki... Though it is a bit famous. After all, its power has been feared since before humans even existed"

"Before... Humans existed?" Ichigo thought, not being able to imagine the magnitude of that expression.

"I would fight you here, but Ulquiorra-sama ordered me to battle somewhere else. Follow me"

A gust of green wind elevated him and carried him through the dark sky above Las Noches.

Ichigo and Nel followed him with no trouble, despite the tremendous speed.

Now that there were no Lesser-demons left to block their path, they moved incredibly fast through the desert of Hueco Mundo.

Arikado guided them towards a place neither of them had ever seen. A place where the white sands turned darker and darker as they advanced, until there was nothing but great plains of black sand and trees.

"This place..." Nel thought, feeling uneasy. "Why does it seem familiar?"

Arikado descended and pointed his blade at them.

"Ulquiorra-sama wanted me to bring you here. If you defeat me, he will make sure to give a signal for you to find and confront him, Kurosaki Ichigo"

"Bring it on, then! I've been wanting to fight a real Demon ever since I started training, so you better don't disappoint me" Ichigo grinned as he pointed his Zanpakutou at the Demon.

"Wait, Ichigo" Nel stopped him.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"You should save your strength for Ulquiorra. Let me handle this"

"But Nel... He's the first-"

"I know. If things get complicated, I guess there won't be more of a choice, but for now, please let me do this" She replied with a determined look in her hazel eyes.

"Okay... Just don't... You know..." He was terribly worried.

"It will be okay, Ichigo. I won't let anything happen" She smiled and caressed his face to calm him.

"Alright... Do your best" He smiled back.

"I will"

Arikado had no problem to fight any of the two (or the two at once if needed), so Nel's decission did not bother him in the slightest.

"Very well... Show me what you can do, Espada" He challenged her.

"_Shunkou_" Nel said, as an aura of fire started emanating from her body.

Seconds later, her body was surrounded by scorching flames, ones that even reminded Ichigo of Yamamoto.

"Those are as bright as the old man's..." He thought impressed.

Nel could feel Ichigo's gaze over her in that state, which made her chuckle.

"These, Ichigo... These are the flames born of my love for you" She thought happily.

"You look strong, but are you sure you want to try taking me on by yourself?" Arikado asked politely.

"I guess I'll try my best" She replied seriously.

"Very well then... I don't really like fighting women, but I see there's no other way"

"Don't worry, that wind of yours will only feed my flames" She mocked, a bit bothered by his comment.

"If you say so... _Crissaegrim_" The green wind flowed through his blade and he directed a barrage of slashes towards her.

Nel quickly dodged each of the slashes with no problem. Her speed had become monstrous, to such a level that even Arikado had trouble following her with his eyes.

"Now's my chance!" She thought as he lost her position completely.

She charged towards him from behind with a fist of fire.

As soon as Arikado felt a slight increase of heat however, he knew he was under attack.

"_Valmanway_" He said as soon as Nel reached him, making the green wind circle around him protectively.

She jumped back instantly as she felt the dangerous attack, receiving only a little cut on her cheek.

"What was that...?" She thought confused. "It was like... The wind was alive"

"Amusing. I've never faced an opponent that could escape my defensive attack so easily. All the ones I've engaged so far... Died as soon as I used that attack"

"It isn't easy to read. I bet all your past opponents thought that they had you and never expected you to counter in such a devastating way" She replied, still amazed by his move.

"Possibly, though I'll never really know..." Arikado sighed. "But you are different, and that's enough for me to want to keep fighting"

"Really? How flattering" She mocked. "Too bad that we don't have the time to fool around"

Nel appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye, and threw a devastating flaming kick at Arikado.

His blue eyes opened widely as he received the kick with his arms crossed.

To his surprise, the strength of the attack and the fire had damaged his arms, which were now uncovered as his black suit had been consumed by the flames.

"She's doing it!" Ichigo thought, as a smile appeared on his lips.

Arikado's strong arms had been burnt, though he didn't seem fazed by it.

Nel didn't plan to stop there, so she immediately threw several punches of searing flames.

Arikado evaded most of them with difficulty, but Nel managed to deal a powerful blow on his chest with her last punch nonetheless.

"Kgh..." He made a sound of pain as he flinched.

"Did you have enough?" She asked.

"Yes... For a warmup that is" He replied, taking off the black jacket and the white shirt he was wearing to uncover his muscular torso.

"I guess you'll fight seriously now" She deduced.

"Correct, no more games. It's time I show you the true power of the first Duke..."

Arikado turned his back on Nel. For a moment, she thought he was being disrespectful, but that idea was discarded immediately as she saw what he had.

A big "I" was tattooed on the center of his back, which was very striking considering three pairs of shining white feathered wings grew from it.

"_T-__T_-_Tenshi__?"_ She murmured in disbelief.

"W-What?!" Ichigo was astonished as well. "Is that... An Angel?" He thought.

"I know what you're thinking... But take a closer look" Arikado told them.

As soon as he said those words, his white feathers were painted black. Pitch black. All light escaped his blue eyes as well, which became red.

"You... You are a Fallen Angel" Nel recognized, with a look of surprise.

"Nel... You know what that is?" Ichigo asked her, as he didn't know.

"I had heard of the existence of both Tenshi and Oni, though I had never seen them with my own eyes until now... However, it is of common knowledge that along with the Oni, there are dark Angels that betrayed the Old Gods. They are known as Fallen Angels, or _Yamitenshi_" She explained.

"That's correct. I'm surprised that you know so much despite being a Hollow. The Old Gods were supposed to have annihilated all of Hueco Mundo's intelligent inhabitants all those thousands of years ago... But it seems they failed" He said bifterly.

"So you are not a complete Demon, but an evil Angel" Ichigo spat.

"Evil... I wonder if there's truly a good and an evil, but... I may just be overthinking stuff. Now then, I recommend you to get ready" He prepared his blade, surrounding it with green wind.

"There's something strange about that wind... And I'm going to uncover it!" She thought with sheer determination. "I'll have to fight seriously as well then"

Nel got her Zanpakutou out, and encircled it with the fire that surrounded her while increasing her Reiatsu even more. The flames' color changed into the same pink of her Reiryoku.

"Nel..." Ichigo admired her sight. Beautiful, elegant and, above all, powerful.

The two warriors looked at each other with fearless eyes, ready to clash at any moment.

In a second, both moved towards the other without a doubt in their hearts.

"_Corte Abrasador_!" Nel said as she attacked Arikado with her blade.

"_Valmanway_" The green wind clashed against the burning sword, protecting him from the flames that were menacing to devour him.

"That wind of yours is really quick. I have no choice... I'll have to show you what real speed is..." She said as she held her Katana with one hand in the air.

In a flash that Ichigo could barely perceive, Nel appeared on Arikado's side, having dealt him a burning cut already.

"What the-?" The Duke couldn't believe it.

And it didn't stop there, Nelliel continued appearing and disappearing with several slashes.

For a moment, Ichigo had a flashback. He remembered feeling that speed. A speed so high that even the eyes of Ulquiorra in his Segunda Etapa could not follow him.

"That... That wasn't a normal _Sonido_" He realized.

Arikado managed to protect himself from a couple attacks thanks to his frenzy of wind, but even so, he had taken serious damage from the Arrancar's attacks.

"Tch... You're giving me quite some trouble, miss. May I know your name?"

"I am Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, and I must say that I am also surprised by your power. I'm pretty sure that if I received a single attack of yours I would be instantly defeated, so I figured that I simply didn't have to get hit"

"Hah..." He chuckled. "A simple solution for a simple problem. I see why you were the one to accompany Kurosaki Ichigo, despite the threat such a decision posed"

"I would've followed him even if I knew that I would die protecting him!" She declared.

"N-Nel..." Ichigo, like always, couldn't have enough of her loyalty.

"Beautiful words from a beautiful woman. I wonder... If you can truly live by them though!" He said as he created a trio of hurricanes.

The green winds roared dangerously as they enclosed the two. Even Ichigo was in danger due to the massive scale of the attack, but he wasn't thinking about his own safety at the moment.

"Bakudou 81: _Danku_" He said as he created a giant void barrier to protect the two.

"Ichigo..." She muttered as she noticed his quick reaction, all to protect her.

However, Arikado grinned as he saw that. It was time to reveal the true nature of the green wind.

He moved his other hand, commanding the wind to go around the barrier.

"What?" Ichigo was surprised by it.

"No!" Nel thought, grabbing Ichigo in a moment and using her improved _Sonido_ to get away from that place as soon as possible.

The wind surrounded the barrier completely a second later, but thankfully, the two were already out of that range.

"You two learn quickly" Arikado praised as he clapped his hands. "Truly, the best opponents I've ever faced... In a battle to the death at least"

Ichigo sighed in relief as he and Nel were safe. If she hadn't acted so quickly, it would be a different story and a darker one at that.

"Nel... What was that speed?" He asked, amazed. "I know that was not just Sonido"

"That's true. Yoruichi-san forced me to find a level above it. I call it, _Velocidad_"

"It truly is fast..."

"I appreciate your compliment, but I think it's not the best time" She replied, getting more serious. "You felt it too, didn't you?"

"Yeah. That wind... Is somehow alive" He knew what she meant. "Otherwise, my Bakudou wouldn't have failed"

"Actually, I think I uncovered the mystery behind that wind's life" Nel said, as she opened her hand.

In her palm rested an unconscious iron armored figure. With a tiny golden crown on its head, the little creature had a human face, beautiful blonde hair, lion's teeth and a tail like a scorpion's.

"What the...? What the Hell is that?!" Ichigo asked in shock.

"I'm not sure... But they are the secret behind Arikado"

"It didn't sting you, did it?" He was worried.

"No, it didn't. I don't know if they are venomous, but I don't wanna find out either"

"How did you grab it?"

"Just as we were escaping, I swinged my blade, just to see what the result was. It seems that out of pure luck, I cut its wings and disarmed it"

"Disarmed?"

Nel showed him a small green lance and a pair of metallic wings on the sand.

"So those things have...?"

"Yes, it seems each of them has a weapon, not counting their tail of course"

"Damn, this guy is more dangerous than he seemed" Ichigo frowned. "I'm sorry Nel, but I'm not letting you continue, not on your own at least..."

"Don't worry, I understand. It's better if we fight together anyway" She smiled.

"Yeah... We can't lower our guard though"

"Never" She agreed.

Arikado flew towards them, followed by a swarm of the fairy-like beings.

"I see you met one of my locusts. They are a bit shy... But very powerful nonetheless" He commented.

"I imagine you are going seriously this time" Ichigo told him.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I've been serious this whole time. If you are referring to my full power, that's a different story though"

"Enough games, we came here to fight Ulquiorra, not his sidekick"

"You have a big mouth for someone who hasn't even fought against me"

"Well that's about to change... _Getsuga Tenshou!"_

The giant slice of black and red Reiatsu collided with an equal attack of green locust wind.

The explosion caused by the friction of the two powers was tremendously powerful. Nel had to raise her Reiatsu in order to stand her ground without being helplessly blown away.

"Very well then..." Arikado smirked. "Ulquiorra-sama did not lie. It seems you are worthy of my Onibuki..."

The Fallen Angel sticked his sword in the sand and flew above it.

"Open the gate of the abyss... **_Abaddon_**_!"_

The blade was swallowed by the sands, only to be striken by a small falling star. On the designated spot, a special Kimon, one darker and smaller than the one Nel had seen during the invasion, but the pressure that came from it was as heavy as it could get.

The sole feeling of discomfort the two felt just by imagining what was behind that portal was unbearable, although the two could imagine what it was by now.

Out of the Kimon, a black cloud of armored locusts came out, their wings sounding like the rattle caused by an invasor army during a raid.

"This... Is unreal" Nel muttered, with a hint of fear and incredulity.

Arikado himself had grown locust legs and a torax like body. Instead of a sword, in his hand, appeared an ebony baton.

"Hahaha, I bet you're impressed by the uncountable number of soldiers my army of locusts has, but don't be surprised... After all, this power was created with the purpose of purging one third of the world's population!" Arikado exclaimed proud.

"One... Third...?" Ichigo repeated, imagining the amount of lives that meant.

"It's... Ridiculous..." Nel said, matching perfectly with her boyfriend's current thoughts.

"Now... Where did all your determination go? Don't tell me this has made you give up! You are supposed to fight Yama! You can't be so weakminded, dammit!" Arikado reprimended them with anger.

The two were even more confused with those words.

"Huh? Is he... Angry that we felt like that...?" Nel thought surprised.

"What is this guy's real objective?" Ichigo thought. "The only reason he would get angry was that he...!"

"I know what you're thinking... But, I won't hesitate to kill you because of that. If you cannot defeat me, don't even dream about beating Ulquiorra or any of the princes at that! So you better start to get your mind back on track. Otherwise... Suffer unto the locust!" Arikado spat and commanded the swarm with his beaton. "_Imperium_"

The swarming cloud fell upon them violently. There was no second thought in these creature's actions, so the two knew they had to act quickly.

"Nel!" Ichigo asked for her help.

"I'm on it!" She created a giant pilar of fire to buy him time.

"How was it again...? Ah.

Kunrinsha yo! Chiniku no kamen, banshou, habataki, hito no na o kansu mono yo! Shinri to sessei, tsumi shiranu yume no kabe ni wazuka ni tsume o tate yo!" He chanted quickly.

"Interesting..." Arikado thought.

"Hadou 33: _Soukatsui!_" Ichigo finished the favourite spell of the Kuchiki siblings, pointing the palm of his hand at the swarm and spreading a colossal blast of blue flames around the place.

Many of the locusts fell like flies to Ichigo's flames. Not even their armor could save them of such a fierce attack.

"Way to go, Ichigo!" Nel cheered happily.

"Yeah... But we're not half done yet"

And he was right. The amount of locusts was still enough to devour a small country's population in a single night.

"Is that your best? If that's so, you're better off dead" Arikado said in reply, commanding his army to descend upon them once again.

"That's funny, cause I don't remember saying this was my all" Ichigo replied, wearing his mask.

"Now he's serious" Arikado thought.

Instead of a _Getsuga_, Ichigo formed a helix with his blade's movement and speed.

"_Cero_ _Oscuras_" He said as he blasted the trademark attack of the Hollows, with none other than the Cuatro Espada in mind.

As he did so, flashbacks of his training in the Dangai came back.

_"You must learn to control your powers fully, Kingy" White grinned, wearing his black mask on top of his head. "Which means... To stop fighting like a Shinigami and start being your true self!"_

_"What? You want me to fire Ceros all over the place? Cause if that's it, I can do it all day!" Ichigo spat back, doing as his Hollow spirit told him. "Don't think for one second that doing that will give you an opportunity. I'm not scared of using my Hollow powers, cause I decided that I won't let you control me, ever again!"_

_"We'll see about that..." The Hollow chuckled. "...Kingy"_

"I'm... Not... You..." Ichigo muttered as he erased more locusts from the faze of Hueco Mundo with a black and red shine.

Arikado blinked at his sudden increase of power.

"So he can be a real monster as well. In that case, I guess it's time for his final test" The Duke thought as he indicated one last dance for his locusts to follow. "_**Fifth Trumpet**"_

The locusts started flying frenzily around them, like a giant storm that leaves a city desolate and makes the seas go wild.

"Dammit!" Ichigo realized the danger, looking at Nel with worry in his brown eyes.

"Ichigo, I'll be alright! My Hierro can take a bit of damage" She said with a smile and an eye closed, though she was clearly tired and worried as well.

Ichigo pushed her away from the insects' range in the last possible moment, as his body was swallowed by the swarm.

"Ichigo!" She screamed as she was sent flying.

"Forming clouds, their shadow shrouds. Louder the tattered wings they sound. Descending down..." Arikado murmured.

The locusts engulfed Ichigo, not allowing him to see or make anything out, although there was a delicately crafted strategy inside that dissonance of movement.

He could feel how the creatures sticked together to create piercing weapons and giant hands made out of lances. As a result, it was inevitable to take serious damage.

His body was aching, bleeding and suffering strange effects like dizziness and numbness from the locusts' sting.

Not for one second, did his heart waver at the thought of winning the fight.

"I can't... Give up... Not until... Nel's safe... Not until... Inoue is safe... Not until... Everyone's alright!"

His black and red Reiatsu formed a destructive cupola, erasing the locusts around him instantly.

In a wild rush, Ichigo sprinted towards Arikado, determined to beat him.

"Come, Kurosaki Ichigo" Arikado said, calm. "I am wrath. I am pain. I am death. I... Am... Hell"

Although suffering from tunnel vision through the storm of insects, he was able to perfectly see Arikado. He was ready to end it all.

"_Getsuga_... _Tenshou_!" He screamed through his mask, throwing a slash with the shape of a crescent moon at the Duke.

Arikado used all of the locusts he had left to protect himself, embedding them with his own Reiatsu, but not even then... It was enough.

The black and red slash sliced everything on its path like it was thin air.

Arikado himself, felt the powerful Reiatsu, thinking it was his end.

"Well done... Kurosaki Ichigo" He muttered, closing his eyes.

_"Arikado... I know you are full of regret ever since the raid on Hueco Mundo" A beautiful goddess of beautiful face, white skin, silky long black hair and pronounced curves that was wearing an elegant golden kimono told him with great sorrow._

_"Amaterasu-sama... Excuse me but... That's wrong. I am glad, I followed the orders that were given to me" A pure Angel Arikado replied._

_"You cannot even fool yourself, and you expect to fool me?" She mocked with grace. "Susano'o took a really drastic measure there. I am not happy with this outcome, but I do not blame anyone other than him. Do not hide your pain, Arikado"_

_"Amaterasu-sama... What can I do to redeem myself?!" He asked in tears._

_"Like I said, there is no redemption you must seek. You are an Angel. You are just a servant of the Gods above you, which means there is no responsibility on your part"_

_"But... Even knowing that... I feel like my own heart is crushing me. The pain of those creatur- Of those people I killed...! I... I can feel it inside me and it's unbearable!"_

_"My poor Arikado" Amaterasu hugged him tenderly. "I would've never thought this would affect you so much. I imagine the agony you are going through, but I don't think it's correct for you to serve some kind of punishment"_

_"It doesn't have to be a punishment, just... Give me a path. Tell me a way to make the whole world a better place. Not just Souls and Humans, but those Hollows as well. Please"_

_"If that's what you wish for..." Amaterasu sighed with a bit of sadness. "We need someone of trust. Someone who would never betray his or our beliefs. Someone who will always do the right thing, as long as the situation allows him. Someone, like you, Arikado"_

_"What do I have to do?"_

_"We need someone to infiltrate Sorayama's court, down there, in Jigoku"_

_"In order to make sure, he doesn't do anything shady?" He inquired._

_"Arikado... We know he will do it eventually. It's just a matter of time. Sometimes, as barbaric as it may sound, I even think killing him would've been the right choice, but we didn't do so back then"_

_"So... You need me to inform you of any menacing moves he does?"_

_"Exactly, but it won't be easy at all. You will need to earn his trust, completely. I know, you will have to turn into a Demon under his command for that"_

_"Amaterasu-sama... I'm already a Demon. After seeing the faces of those innocent souls... I have no doubt about that"_

_"Arikado...!" She tried to make him reconsider it._

_"Thank you for everything until now... I'll make sure to make this mission a succes. Now, I will descend at once. I am not afraid. I will do whatever it takes. I will kill my heart. I will become Hell"_

_"Good... Good luck" She said in tears._

_"Please, don't cry your highness. Don't waste tears in a lost lamb like me"_

_"Just don't forget... That you will always be my fifth trumpet, Arikado. No matter what you are"_

_"Of course. I would never forget"_

Back in the present, with a single tear running down his face, he thought with a smile.

"I informed you of everything I knew, Amaterasu-sama. I trust you will come up with the most perfect solution to this problem, thanks to my work. I can gladly leave the rest in yours and this man's hands"

Just before the attack hit him completely, a hand took him by the shoulder and threw him down, into the sand.

He looked above with difficulty, almost passing out.

"W... Why...?!" Was all he could ask, before everything went black.

Ichigo panted heavily as he wore his mask off, falling to his knees to the pain and contamination.

"Ichigo!" Nel ran as fast as she could to his side.

"I... Won..." He babbled with a painful grin, before falling unconscious as well.

When he opened his eyes again, Nel was chanelling a powerful healing Reishi towards his body as he layed on the sand with his head on her thighs.

"What the...? Nel...? You know... Kaidou?"

"Ichigo! You're awake!" She hugged him strongly, crying of happiness.

"Ow...! Guess it still hurts a bit..."

"Oh, sorry!" She let go of him and rested his head on her lap again, accomodating him to keep healing. "My saliva can only do so much, so I... I asked Yoruichi-san to teach me all she knew. I doubt I'm nearly as good as her though, but as long as you're better, I'm glad.

"Wow... I never imagined you would go to such legths"

"I told you before, Ichi. I would do anything for you" She bent and kissed him gently on the lips after reminding him of that.

"Hey... How is... Arikado?" He asked, remembering how he used his last bit of strength to save the Fallen Angel from his own attack.

"You are crazy, Ichigo. I can't imagine you went so far to save your own enemy" She said surprised. "Though it makes me happy to know that you are a merciful warrior, just like me" She smiled at that idea.

"Of course. For what he was saying, he was never really an enemy to begin with"

"That's true. He's a couple meters to your right"

"He's alright then. Good" He said in relief, looking at the red-hair. He was back to his normal form, though he was still a Fallen Angel.

"Yeah. He's still out, but his wounds are not so bad. Don't expect him to fight for a while though"

"I thought as much. Any sign of Ulquiorra?"

"Not yet, but something tells me he's about to arrive" She frowned with a feeling of discomfort.

"I wonder how strong he is... Cause this guy was simply brutal. You've got to think that, in this form (and without wearing the mask) I was beating the shit outta Aizen" He explained.

"You're not planning to fight him alone, are you?"

"Nel... You knew that things would come to this"

"What? To you attempting suicide?" She asked a bit pissed off.

"Oh, c'mon... You know what I'm talking about"

"You think I'm not strong enough" She replied, now with a look of sorrow.

"It's really not that! In fact... I thought you were amazing as you fought Arikado" He remembered that with a slight blush.

"You really mean it?" She felt hopeful.

"Of course. I've told you before, you look dazzling when you fight" He playfully touched her nose as he said that.

"Ichi..." She blushed at that comment. "I... I love you"

"I love you too, Nel... And that's why I don't want you to risk your life in this fight" He gently passed his fingers through her hair. "This is something Ulquiorra and I left hanging for a while. It is our problem to finish it, with no one else involved"

"And what do you expect me to do? I can't help myself if I see you in grave danger"

"That's why... I want you to promise me that this time, you won't risk your life" He requested.

"Ichigo... You know how hard that is for me..."

"You're right, I know. But, that's why it is a promise"

"*sigh* You're putting me in a tight spot there"

"Hey, you want me to win, right?" He asked.

"Well, of course! Why would I wish for a different outcome?" She asked confused.

"Then think it like this. I will fight a lot better, knowing that you're safe and sound"

"Hmm... That does sound kinda right, though I wouldn't say totally convincing"

"So, what do you say...? Promise?" He raised his pinky finger.

"What is that?"

"It's something we do to make a vow where I come from. If you comply, wrap your pinky around mine" He explained.

She thought about it for a moment. She didn't want to risk losing him at all, but she knew him, he would do things his way in the end, it was inevitable. The best option was clear.

"Alright, I promise" She wrapped her finger around his. "But you have to win"

"Yeah. I'll make sure to" He smiled at her with decision, and leaned forward a bit to kiss her as their fingers were still entangled.

~~~~X~~~~

**And... I'm back. God, it's been two crazy weeks this last time. I've been bombarded with tests and stuff (and honestly, I think I didn't do too well in all of them), but anyways, I managed to bring you all the first chapter of this year's Suicide Season (September for my country, in case you didn't know). I know that's not a happy thing, but I highlight it cause I want you all to know, that despite the hardships one may face through life, never consider ending it as a solution. There is always a way, believe me, and even if you feel like your life has no meaning and there's no point in living anymore, remember that no one really knows why we are here in the first place, so if you are alive, that's enough of a reason to keep living.**

**I, personally, am not (and have never been) truly happy living in such a limited world in comparison to many fictional ones. Despite that, I believe that such a pessimistic feeling (known as Weltschmerz) is what gives me the greatest impulse to keep creating my art (in all its different ways) and help inspire other people. I hope that in time I may be able to make something big out of all these things I create and bring a lot of happiness to the people I reach.**

**With this phylosophical monologue concluded, let's go to Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Wicked. AWESOME! Loved this chapter! Keep it up!**

**Reply: Happy to hear that.**

**midnightscar17: _Why are you using the satan names from highschool dxd__?_**

**Reply: These names are not original from HDxD at all, lol. They come from Christian and Satanic mythology and simbolism, so I just picked the Demons I liked for the swords.**

**See you all next chapter... Evhron** **out.**

**Glossary:**

**_Corte Abrasador:_ Scorching Cut.**

**_Velocidad:_ Velocity.**

**_Crissaegrim and Valmanway_****_:_** **A very powerful wind sword from the Castlevania series** **(****Arikado's name was also taken from there lol).**


	16. Moonshield

"_Tired of dull ages, I walk the same ground,_ _c__ollecting the tragedies still_. _Hollow ambitions in a hollow mind_... _Carried my cross to the hill_.

_And how I lust for the dance and the fire_, _d__eep of the nectarine sunset to drink_. _Spill me the wind and its fire_... _To steal of the colors - I'm the moonshield_.

_Shattered hope became my guide_, _a__nd grief and pain my friends_. _A brother pact in a blood-ink penned_... _Declare my silent end_.

_Naked and dying under worlds of silent stone_...

_Reaching for the moonshield that once upon us shone_...

_And how I lust for the dance and the fire_, _deep of the nectarine sunset to drink_. S_pill me the wind and its fire_, _to steal of the colors_...

_I'm the... I'm the... I'm the..._

_I'm the MOONSHIELD__!_ "

In Flames - _Moonshield_

_~~~~X~~~~_

"How are you feeling now?" Nelliel asked Ichigo after finishing the healing process.

Ichigo stood up and moved his arms a bit.

"Like new. You are amazing at this too, Nel!" He replied happily.

"Th-Thank you..." She blushed at that compliment, smiling gracefully at him.

"No trace of the venom either" He remembered how he felt after the receiving the Locusts' sting.

"Venom?!" She asked worried.

"Yeah... Those things stung pretty hard. I felt my head spinning around and my senses going numb. But even in that state, I was able to defeat him" He looked at the unconscious rival that was by his side.

"I wonder if he knew something more about Ulquiorra" Nel though out loud.

"Not much probably. Despite being quite talkative (believe it or not), Ulquiorra never truly revealed what his inner thoughts were. Who knows? He may not even have had a real motivation at that time, but that could've changed..."

As he finished that sentence, a huge pilar of green light appeared in the dark sky. The Espada was calling him.

"Ichigo...!" Nel called his attention.

"It's time" He replied, getting his Zanpakutou ready. "I'm going ahead. If you want to see how I'm doing, just make sure to be as far as you can possibly be... Though I'd rather have you stay"

"I know, but I also want to see that you're fine. I promised that I wouldn't risk my life, so you can rest assured"

"Wish me luck" He said, grabbing the back of her head and gently pulling her hair to give her a long passionate kiss.

"~Mmm~" She moaned, before breaking the kiss. "Make sure that's not the last one..." She whispered in his ear, giving him shivers, as well as a strong reason to survive.

Ichigo pressed his forehead against hers so their noses touched and their eyes were as close as they could get.

"It won't be, Nel. I promise" He wanted to kiss her again, but decided to leave it for later.

Nelliel watched him leave with a mixture of certainty and worry. She knew Ichigo was really strong, that he could beat anyone if he decided so with the sheer determination he always had. Why did she feel uneasy, still? Like something terrible was going to happen inevitably.

Ichigo went deeper into the black sand desert, into a formation of valleys and canyons.

It called his attention that everything was black. The sand, the rocks, the trees... Well, there wasn't much more to see either, but it still troubled him.

"This place is nothing like the rest of Hueco Mundo"

Then suddenly, after passing through a crack between two rocks, something special came in sight. Something that called his attention in the giant black desert.

"So... White" He muttered, admiring it.

From the black earth rose a magnificent white tree. It was tall and full of thorned branches.

He didn't know why, but he had the feeling that such a thing was unique in all of Hueco Mundo, or even... In the whole Universe.

"It seems you like it" A familiar yet unwanted voice said.

"Where are you?!" Ichigo asked back, ready to slice him to pieces.

From behind the white tree's trunk, appeared Ulquiorra. He was wearing the same Espada attire as before. Ulquiorra clearly wanted a fight that was just like the last time, although many things had changed, starting with the Shinigami's power and appearance.

"Welcome, Kurosaki Ichigo, to the place where _I _was born"

"You were... _Born_ here?" Ichigo asked confused.

"It was just a choice of words. The first time we're really born as individuals would probably be when we distinguish ourselves as Gillians, though I doubt many Arrancar retain such a distant memory..."

Ichigo just stood there, interested by his speech, despite his animosity towards the Cuatro Espada.

"...I do remember though. I remember how all Gillian were black. I however... Was white. When I became a bat-like Adjuchas, I was still white. When I finished scavenging the corpse of a Hollow and became a Vasto Lorde..."

"Let me guess, you were white" Ichigo completed. "Where are you getting at with all this?" He asked, bothered.

"I never saw a Hollow that was similar to me in my entire existence. Not even did I see something inanimate that resembled me in any way. I was born in these great plains of black sand, somewhere even farther from here. Everything here is black. The only thing I ever thought looked kinda similar to what I was looking for, was the moon... But that is just too far away..." He sighed, disapponted.

In that moment, Ichigo seemed to understand where he was headed.

"Then this tree..."

"Exactly. This tree was the first thing I ever saw that was like me. So empty. So hollow. So... White" He admired the tree. "I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to enter its nothingness. I wanted, to escape my solitude and embrace that which was similar to me... So I sinked into the tree, hopeful... Until its thorns reminded me that such a thing was impossible. I was born alone... And I would die alone"

"I understand now. This is the place where you became an Arrancar. This tree, is the one that tore your mask off" Ichigo deduced.

"Correct. As you can see, I decided to have our rematch in a very special place, though I wouldn't say I really have any sort of attachment towards anything really... In the end, I know that everything is worthless, pointless and meaningless"

"You are in high spirits today, aren't you?" Ichigo said ironically. "Where is Inoue?" He wanted to ask that ever since he arrived.

"In a safe place. One where no harm can reach her. After all... The dead can no longer feel pain, can they?" He provoked the Shinigami.

"That better be a very distasteful joke, or else...!"

"What? You will destroy me?" He got his sword out of the sheath. "How convenient... I've been dying to die again"

"Fucking freak" Ichigo spat, before clashing against him with a single _Shunpo_.

Ichigo destroyed the whole canyon that was behind them with that single swing.

"No more restrictions" Ichigo thought, releasing his full power.

Ulquiorra opened his eyes a bit as Ichigo blasted him away with another swing of his blade.

Even though the Espada blocked the slash itself, just the force of the attack was enough to send him flying.

He did not give up though, in fact, he was ready to counter now that he knew the extent of his rival's power.

He used _Sonido_ to clash against Ichigo at a superior speed and strength, one that even made the Shinigami flinch a couple meters, and before he could react, Ulquiorra kicked him away from the spot they were into a more even part of the dark canyon.

"It seems he's no joke though. His mere strength is superior to Aizen's back then" Ichigo thought as he got back on his feet and ready to attack. "_Getsuga Tenshou!"_

"_Cero_" Ulquiorra replied with the signature move of his base form.

The two attacks clashed equally, making a destructive shockwave that erased everything on a hundred-meter radius.

"You've grown strong, Kurosaki Ichigo. This time I even dare saying we're even" The Arrancar commented.

"Oh really? Guess I wasn't really trying then!" He replied, slashing violently against his rival in an attempt to prove him wrong.

Ulquiorra blocked the attacks with difficulty, but managed to stand his ground.

"_Cero __Centésimas" _Ulquiorra pointed his fingers and blasted a barrage of smaller _Ceros_ in all directions.

"_Getsuga Tenshou!"_

The black and red Getsuga simply went through the attacks with no effort.

"Too slow" Ulquiorra said as he appeared from behind and hit the Shinigami with a point blank _Bala_, sending him flying away.

Ichigo rolled over the ground, not able to stand immediately due to the speed at which he was thrown away. On the other end, Ulquiorra was waiting for him, ready to slash him while he was down.

Ichigo, instead of granting him that pleasure, grinned as he blocked the blade of the Espada with his own.

"Nice try"

"Hmph" Ulquiorra was not impressed by his tenacity. He knew better than anyone about it after all.

He jumped back on his feet and clashed against him once more.

"C'mon, Ulquiorra, I know you can do better than this...!" He tried to provoke his rival.

"I was willing to go further ever since I started this battle, although... Are you sure you can handle any more?"

"I wouldn't be so cocky if I was you. You're clearly underestimating my strength"

"On the contrary, Kurosaki Ichigo. You seem to be the one overestimating your own abilities"

"Why don't we leave this façade behind and use our true power then?" Ichigo said, wearing his Hollow mask.

"As you wish" Ulquiorra complied, internally glad as things were going like he wanted. "Enclose... **_Murciélago_**" The Espada changed into his first _Resurrección_, extending his bat wings. "_Luz de la Luna"_ He said, pointing his green javelin at Ichigo.

"Let's go" The Shinigami said as he and Ulquiorra started exchanging blows and slashes all over the black sand desert.

Their crashing created destruction waves that blew everything close by to smithereens, and their weapons' movement alone was enough to make the space around them tremble.

This was truly the true decissive battle between the two.

~~~~X~~~~

Nel was looking at the horizon, hoping that her loved one was fine.

She could feel their Reiatsu from the distance, so she knew that both were alive at the very least.

"Their power is... Scary" She thought. "I knew that Ichigo wouldn't have been normally wounded by a power like Arikado's, but with this proof my suspicions are correct... He lowered his level a lot so that he wouldn't hurt me. I... I was only dragging him down..." She cried a bit at that thought.

Her tears were stopped by a sudden feeling, like someone was entering her mind.

"Can everyone hear me?" It was Rukia's voice.

"Huh? What is this?" Nel asked.

"I used Bakudou 77: _Tenteikuura_ to communicate with you all. It seems that even Arrancar can be notified, probably due to their Shinigami powers" She theorized. "More importantly, is everyone alright? Renji and I are fine, and Hachigen and Hiyori are also with us"

"We're fine on our end" Lisa replied. "The two Arrancar also finished their battle with a bit of damage"

"Grimmjow is unconscious, but he's fine" Harribel added.

"That's great news" Rukia replied with relief.

"We're okay as well! Though we met someone... _Particular_ along the way" Pesche said.

"Who's with you? Is he an ally?" Rukia asked.

"It's difficult to explain out of the blue, but it seems he is willing to help us against the Demons"

"Interesting... Glad to hear you two are okay. What about you, Nel-san? I assumed Ichigo was already fighting Ulquiorra"

"You guessed well. We defeated the First Duke. Ichigo did not kill him though, since he doesn't seem to be an enemy" She said as she looked at the sleeping Arikado. "He went on his own to fight a while ago, and I can tell the two have only just began to fight seriously"

"Where are you?" Rukia asked.

"We're north from Las Noches. I don't know how much, but it's a long distance. The sand is black in here"

"Black sand? I've heard of such a place, though I've never seen it with my own eyes..." Harribel commented with a worried tone. "It must be really far from Las Noches"

"Hey, guys" Ishida spoke.

"Oh, Ishida-san. How are you doing?" Rukia asked.

"We're fine, but that's not important. Inoue-san is with us"

Everyone was shocked by that information.

"H-Huh?! Inoue?! Really?!" Rukia asked with a mix of astonishment and happiness.

"Like you heard. And even more weird, is the fact that the one who brought her to us... Was Ulquiorra himself"

"W-WHAT?!" No one could believe it.

"Yeah... We are just as shocked as you are. However, there's something else"

"There's more?!" Renji joined the conversation, not believing his ears.

"Inoue-san told us what Ulquiorra's true objective is. I'm not sure if all of you know about this, but Ichigo was once completely Hollowfied, and no, not a beast-like Hollow or a Menos if you'd like to call. He transformed into the class known as Vasto Lorde" Ishida revealed.

"No way...!" The Vizards were particularly shooked by that piece of information.

"Ulquiorra died at the hands of that Hollow, and now... He wants to bring him back!"

"You gotta be kidding me..." Rukia muttered.

"This is bad... Really bad..." Hachigen added.

"Fuck" Hiyori cursed as she bit her lip.

Everyone became full of despair as they heard, but Nelliel was especially affected by it.

"No... Ichigo...!" She screamed as her worst nightmare flashed back into her memories.

She remembered it perfectly, and it was all coming together. The black sand, Ulquiorra... And the Vasto lorde.

"Nel-san!" Rukia noticed. "Don't... Don't do anything reckless! We know this must be really hard for you, but so it is for us! We're all coming, but please wait for us to arrive!"

"Sorry... But I can't do such thing" She muttered. "Goodbye"

"Nel...!"

She blocked her mind from the _Tenteikuura_ by strongly increasing her Reiatsu.

"I'm coming, Ichigo!" She said as she let the Zanpakutou out of the green sheath. "Declare... **_Gamuza_**_!__"_

~~~~X~~~~

In the dark desert, Ulquiorra and Ichigo continued slicing and dicing everything around them as their arms danced frenzily.

"_Cero Oscuras"_ Ulquiorra said, pointing his finger.

"Heh... Two can play at that game!" Ichigo replied, raising his blade horizontally just like Shinji did. "_Cero Oscuras"_

The black and green _Cero_ collided equally with its black and red counterpart.

"So you've gotten to a level where using your mask allows you a power equal to that of an Espada in its release? Amusing" Ulquiorra said as he raised a brow.

"I wouldn't really say there is a comparison. Aizen was biting the dust with a lot less, so kudos for you" Ichigo replied, charging at the Arrancar once more.

"To think that I ever found comfort in serving such a low specimen..." The Espada muttered with disgust. "Unforgivable"

Ichigo continued spamming his _Getsuga Tenshou_ against his rival, who either evaded them or cancelled them with his own attacks.

As the fight progressed however, Ichigo was getting the upper hand. All he needed was remembering the way the Espada fought to start reading his moves and gaining an advantage as a result.

"He's really giving me a hard time now..." Ulquiorra thought. "I guess I should show him the abyss that's between our power one more time"

"_Getsuga Tenshou__!"_ A giant black and red slash went towards his direction.

Before he could react, Ichigo came through the attack and stabbed him in the stomach.

"Kgh..." Ulquiorra frowned in pain. "I couldn't see that..."

"It's the end for you" Ichigo said.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that..." He muttered with difficulty_. _"**_Uña Vampiro_**_"_

Ulquiorra stabbed Ichigo with one of his hands in the same place the Shinigami had done with his blade.

"What the...?!" He felt as his lifeforce was being drained.

"With the strength he gained, the Espada pulled the Shinigami's blade out of his body and regenerated himself.

"This is the only way I can survive a deadly wound, and I would also say it's my released form's special ability. By sacrificing _this_ is that I can go one step beyond"

"Grrr..." Ichigo growled as he knew what his rival referred to. "It does seem like a last resort, even for you"

"The end justifies the means. And to erase you, this was needed. I doubt you can match me in that state if I decide to use my secret weapon"

"Heh, although that's far from secret anymore. Grimmjow and Harribel learned to go into _Segunda Etapa_ as well, if that's what you're talking about"

"Really? Well it was about time already. I was the first of the Espada to embrace my pure Hollow nature, _Murciélago_, and get to a further level of power. Although Aizen never saw my true form, he probably thought that I was hiding something, and that's why he chose _me_ to fight you. Harribel would've probably lost, while Barragan would've disintegrated you before you had the single chance... I believe Starrk, would've been able to let you go as long as he continued his endless naps. Those things considered, I was the best option"

"Though something happened last time. I would've died if such event had not occured, but even so, I don't feel comfortable thinking about it" Ichigo remembered. "This time, I'm ending this battle myself! No matter what the cost"

"Very well then..." Ulquiorra said as he flew into the sky, eclipsing the moon from Ichigo's point of view.

An explosion of black and green Reiatsu filled the area, forcing Ichigo to raise his own Reiatsu to keep his ground, all as he pressed his hand against the wound in his stomach.

"Here he comes... Just a bit more" He muttered in pain"

Ulquiorra came out of the darkness in his demonic form. His yellow eyes surrounded by green sclera, green scar-like marks across them and black horns truly made him a lot like some of the Demons they had fought.

"I would have never imagined that such a golden opportunity would present itself" The Espada said, enjoying the moment.

"You'll be wishing that this day never came after I wipe the floor with you!" Ichigo spouted, ready for the decissive battle's climax. The moment the two had been waiting for so long, and one the two thought impossible to encounter.

"I should play it safe for now... I can't risk getting killed or, even worse, killing him before the proper time" The Arrancar thought. "She shouldn't be too far, just a little more..."

"_Getsuga Tenshou__!"_ Ichigo commenced his assault with a predictable, yet classic move at this point.

"_Cero Oscuras_"

Ichigo was now fighting at his 100%. There was no point in holding back, and honestly, it was impossible for him at this point. Arikado had been a rather troublesome enemy, but it wasn't due to his sheer strength, but to the locusts that he controlled. The other Demons, were all tremendously powerful, but in the end, they were at a level that was attainable for the heroes.

However, Ulquiorra's power alone was enough to make the defeated Dukes a minimal threat in comparison, with no need for special abilities or tricks as backup.

Ichigo fought this battle as if it was his last. He felt like there was nothing stopping him. Not even the wound on his stomach seemed to hurt anymore. He wanted to fight. He wanted to win. He wanted to beat Ulquiorra to a pulp just like the Espada had done with him before.

"_**Lanza del Relámpago**"_ Once again, the true form of the green lance appeared in Ulquiorra's hands.

"I can feel her approaching. It's time!" He thought.

At the same time, Nelliel was getting to the place at a monstrous speed. Her _Velocidad_ increased exponentially in her _Resurreción_, due to her having four legs instead of two.

"I know that my power might not mean much in comparison to those two... But I can't allow my vision to become a reality. I saw the way he died, so I will try everything in order to change it!"

As she arrived at the desolate battlefield, she could see how Ichigo dodged the gigantic explosion of green Reiatsu produced by Ulquiorra's attacks.

"Ichigo...!" She gasped, thankful that he was alright.

Unhopefully for her, this was part of the Espada's plan.

"It's over" He said, appearing behind him and stabbing him with a new _Lanza del Relámpago_ he had just created.

"Argh...!" He muttered in pain.

"Ichigo!" Nel yelled, though he was still too far to hear her.

Ulquiorra grabbed him by the neck with his tail.

"I enjoyed our little warmup..." He started saying, putting the tip of his finger in Ichigo's upper chest. "But it's time for the real battle to take place"

"No...!" Nel let a silent scream out.

She rushed to Ichigo's side, hoping to stop Ulquiorra, but it was too late.

"_Cero Oscuras"_ The nihilist Arrancar said as he created a Hollow hole equal to his in the Shinigami's body and tearing his upper piece of cloth as a result.

"Damn... You..." He muttered as everything went black.

"No! Ichigo! ICHIGO!" Nelliel screamed in tears of rage, sorrow and powerlessness.

Ulquiorra simply threw the body away, like it was something to dispose of, something easy to get rid of, and looked at the scene with lifeless eyes. The Zanpakutou flew far away from his hand as well.

Nel threw her lance away and picked the body of her dearest.

"No... Ichigo! Please... Tell me you're alright! Pet my head and carress my hair like you always do!" She pressed the body against her chest, feeling in her skin how it was becoming colder every second that passed.

"I knew it..." Ulquiorra thought, smiling internally.

"Hug me in your arms, telling me that I won't be alone, and then...! Kiss me... Kiss me 'til my breath is completely gone, leaving me at the border of passing out, and yet... MAKING ME FEEL LIKE I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE ALIVE!!!" She screamed between weeps and tears.

"C'mon, woman. Awaken the beast from its slumber..." He murmured, not being heard by Nel.

"Just... Come back, Ichigo. Come back so I can be happy again, and I'll make you happy too! And then we'll both be happy together!" She babbled, now even losing sense of her words. "Ichigo..."

"Do you wish to join him?" Ulquiorra asked coldly. "Cause it would be my pleasure" He pointed his lance at her.

"I... Ichigo..." She kept mumbling. "S-Save me..." She knew she had to say it. "I know you, Ichi. I know you are always fighting to save your friends... So please..." She took a deep breath:

**"SAVE ME, ICHIGO! SAVE ME LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO!!!"**

Inside his mind, it was all dark and hazy. It was like his body was alone in an endless void.

"What is this? Is it a voice? Is it... Nel's?" He asked, making his thoughts echo. "I want to save her... I want to see her again... I..."

Then, he heard her desperate screams of help.

His eyes widened, making his mind race.

"I'll protect you, Nel..." He saw the moment when he saved her from Dordoni.

"I'll save you... Nel..." He saw how he stopped Nnoitra's blade, even when he was weak.

"I..." Every moment suddenly came to him.

Every hug, every kiss, every smile that she had given to him was the greatest gift he could have ever gotten.

He was willing to sacrifice himself and the whole world for her, and yet here he was. Unconscious. Inanimate. Weak and powerless. All as she held him in her arms.

"I...!" The moment where he protected her from Arikado came to mind.

"**I love you. Nel"**

Ichigo's artificial Hollow hole started letting out a powerful black and red Reiatsu, while his body turned completely white.

"W-What the?!" She realized what was happening.

His orange hair started growing, at a rapid pace, to the length of his back.

His white mask did not come off, but instead sticked to his face and started growing horns.

"This is...!" She carefully left his body on the ground and took a bit of distance.

"Here it comes!" Ulquiorra thought.

The transformation was complete.

"Ghhhrrr... Gnngh... Gnghh... Gnhrrr... UuuuuuRRRRRYYYYEEEEEAAAAHHHHHHH!" The Vasto Lorde screamed like a deranged soul as it stood up, liberating an amount of Reuatsu that made Nel flinch and forced Ulquiorra to keep his ground.

The Hollow looked at Ulquiorra with its fearsome look. It was not going to beat him. It was not going to just, kill him either. It was the look of a creature set to erase his existence completely.

Then it raised its arm, waiting for the lost blade to come back where it belonged.

This time, Zangetsu not only came back to his hand, but it also tied itself with the black chain around the Hollow's arm. This time, it was at a completely different level.

This time. He was a complete Vasto Lorde.

"Don't tell me...!" Ulquiorra thought in the fraction of a second.

A moment later, the creature was grabbing him by the face and wasted no time slashing him out of its sight with his Zanpakutou.

Ulquiorra just managed to block the sword physically, but the destructive wave hit him anyway. In that moment, he lost an arm, a leg and a wing.

"No way..." He said, regenerating his lost body parts to fly away from the Vasto Lorde's reach.

Despite his effort, the Hollow's speed was superior to his, and even Nel's _Velocidad_. It was so ridiculous that it looked like he was teleporting around the place, when he was just sprinting.

"I can't follow his movement" Ulquiorra thought worried.

A second later, he was thrown into the ground with tremendous force.

Nel kept her distance while the two fought, but even then she could feel the pressure of the Vasto Lorde's Reiatsu.

"It's so... Heavy. I can't even move..." She thought.

Ulquiorra created two _Lanza del Relámpago_, one in each hand, but the Hollow didn't seem to have any trouble fighting him.

The creature's cuts and physical attacks were faster and stronger than the espada had expected them to be.

"If this keeps up... I will have failed"

Ulquiorra threw the two lances directly at him, but the Hollow dodged them with no real effort.

The Vasto Lorde seemed to look at his rival with even more rage after that though.

"UUUUWWWWRRRAAAAHHHH!!!"

It appeared in front of him and swinged his blade several times, each slash being more violent than the last one.

Ulquiorra tried to dodge them, but even then received a lot of damage.

Blood was falling all over the black sand that surrounded them, although the Arrancar's healing prowess was good enough to heal him in time.

In spite of that, the truth was harah for him. He was not only losing, but also being completely overwhelmed by his enemy. In this current state, nothing would change.

"_Cero Oscuras_" He said as he shot a barrage of his black and green _Cero_ worthy of Starrk's pistols.

The Hollow replied by pointing his head and horns towards him and charging a tremendous red _Cero._

The two waves of power collided, creating a huge explosion and sending Nelliel flying away as well.

"Ungh...!" She fell into the sand. "Ichigo...?" She murmured, starting to realize that the Vasto Lorde was not him in the slightest. He would've never done an attack like that with her present. He would never hurt her in any way. He promised.

The Hollow appeared on Ulquiorra's back once again, and hit him with a punch charged with red Reiatsu.

"Argh!" He growled in pain. "I'm starting... To take serious damage..."

The Vasto Lorde charged another _Cero_ between its horns, taking advantage of Ulquiorra's weak state.

"_**Lanza del Relámpago**!"_ He said as he countered the giant explosion with his greatest ability.

After seeing that didn't work, the Hollow swinged his blade, throwing an endless run of _Getsuga Tenshou_ at Ulquiorra.

The black and red Reiatsu waves were faster and greater than he had ever seen. He simply couldn't counter with an attack of his own. All he could do, was try to evade them and hope for the better.

The slashes continued dealing severe damage to him, even as he flied around at his wild speed, but just like everything else, it was not enough.

The mad Hollow kicked him out of his sight and shot a couple _Ceros_ from its finger.

Ulquiorra fell harshly on the sand, feeling the scorching pain of the beams that had gone through his body.

Before he could even look up, the Vasto Lorde was already hitting him with relentless punches.

The blood of the Espada was staining the white knuckles of the Hollow as it continued mashing his body and face like there was no end.

The Espada used his tail to try to make the Hollow lose balance by wrapping it around one of its feet, to no avail, as it grabbed it and tore it apart from his body easily.

Ulquiorra spat a lot of blood, and felt as his mind was becoming dark.

He could no longer process the situation. The world itself was becoming something uncertain and difficult to make out. Not even pain seemed to be real anymore. Only then did he understand what that was.

**4**

**死**

**D E A T H**

The very number that had been given to him symbolized this, and yet he had never felt that he truly understood it.

Last time, he died, but not for one second did he feel close to death. For him, death was a mere concept, the end of life. It didn't mean anything.

For the first time however, he felt afraid.

He was afraid to die.

Why was that?

Was it because... He had something to live for?

"I... I don't want to die..." He thought. "There are so many things... I must learn... From her... There is something... I have yet... To accomplish... I cannot... Give up... Just... Yet..."

The Vasto Lorde was about to charge a _Cero_ at point blank range from its horns, ready to completely erase Ulquiorra from the faze of the whole Universe.

"I... Want to smile. I... Want to love. I... Want to live"

As those thoughts came across his mind, a storm was formed in the dark sky above them.

"Huh? What is happening now?" Nel thought. "Don't tell me this is..."

A black and green lightning fell from the skies towards Ulquiorra.

The Vasto Lorde dodged it, sparing Ulquiorra a couple more seconds to live, or so he thought.

As the lightning fell upon him, not only did his mind come back to the real world. His body regained strength, one he could not explain.

"What is... Going on?" He thought confused.

Then, the clouds above them formed a cyclone with him at its center.

Ulquiorra, in the eye of the storm, was starting to change as the green electric energy was embedded in his being. His horns became more twisted and his black hair grew longer, falling a bit further from his shoulders. The black clouds started shaping a tunic that covered his lower part, while his top was bathed in the moon's light above, becoming as pale as the Vasto Lorde he was fighting. Finally, his yellow eyes became green once again, but with a black sclera around them and his back grew three pairs of black feathered wings, like that of a Fallen Angel.

The hurricane disappeared as quickly as it formed, revealing the Espada's new body, his ultimate form.

"_Resurrección: **Etapa Final**__"_ He muttered, still looking at his body in disbelief.

Finally, from the sky, fell a long lance-like weapon.

"Huh?" He picked it up, getting a feeling like he had always known such a weapon. "I see... You are... _Chauve-Souris_"

The lance had a blood-red pointy edge, decorated with two black blood-stained bat wings on its sides. The pole was of an elegant black, and its bottom had a green emerald encased in a silver ornament.

"That weapon... Is just like in my dream, which means...!" Nel panicked as her ultimate nightmare became a reality.

"Now, Hollow... The night has made its judgement, coming to my aid in order to fulfill this mission. Brace yourself!" Ulquiorra said as he pointed his new lance at the Vasto Lorde.

The creature replied by letting a loud scream out.

"Kurosaki Ichigo... I'm sorry for having done this against your will, but this Hollow, this power...! It can only mean one thing..." He thought, remembering what he had planned when he decided to help the Demon King. "You might not know it yet... But I am your guardian. I am the moonshield"

The Vasto Lorde charged towards Ulquiorra with a spinning blade.

As soon as he reached the Arrancar's side though, it was not as easy as it had been the rest of the fight.

Ulquiorra blocked perfectly each of his attacks, and even managed to stab him with _Chauve-Souris_ as a counter, making the Vasto Lorde scream in agony.

"I can read his movement, I can counter effectively... I. Can. Win" He realized.

However, this sight was not pleasant to their only spectator.

"No! This is bad..." She bit her lip. "If this goes on, Ichigo is gonna die!"

It was true, the Hollow was definitely not Ichigo, but their body was one and the same. If Ulquiorra killed the Hollow, Ichigo would die. She couldn't let that happen at any cost.

"Why did I even come here in the first place?" She thougjt bitterly. "I haven't done anything but awake that monster! All I wanted was him back... And now he's in an even greater danger"

She looked at her own hands, as if she was simply unable to do more.

"I even promised him... That I wouldn't risk my life" She remembered. "But if I don't do anything, I know how it will end"

In the background Ulquiorra was confronting the Vasto Lorde, with a clear advantage. He was stronger, faster and clearly, more intelligent. Ichigo's Hollow was really powerful, but despite being smart for a beast, he was just a monster. His intellect was not comparable to an Arrancar's, or not to Ulquiorra's at the very least, who was quite intelligent, without being a genius.

"Nelliel" A femenine voice said inside her mind.

"Huh? Who is...?" As soon as she asked that, she entered her subconscious.

It was a forest of Hollow trees. She remembered living in such a landscape for a very long time. It was a memory from the time she was a Vasto Lorde.

"W-What is...?"

Suddenly, a large Chamois of black fur and pink markings fell in front of her, smashing part of the forest.

"You've been denying me for far too long, Nelliel" The beast spoke.

"That voice...! Are you... _Gamuza_?"

"Precisely. I'm your inner beast. The corporeal form of the power you feed upon. Your betrayal"

"Shut up!" She threw a _Lanzador Verde_ at the animal out of pure anger. "Don't you dare mention that ever again"

The chamois deflected it with its horns and chuckled.

"You might not like it, but you can't deny it's the root of your strength. That, is also the reason I decided to appear"

"What do you want?" She frowned.

"An even greater power is at the tip of your fingers, Nelliel. All you have to do, is pick up that lance in the real world and attack that Arrancar"

"No! That would mean...!"

"Betraying your loved one. Breaking the promise you made to him..."

"So that's what you really want"

"Exactly. Don't you see? It's so simple"

"No, it's not! All Ichigo ever wanted was to protect me. I won't deny his wishes"

"Still stubborn, eh? But unfortunately for you, you don't have much of a choice"

"What do you mean?"

"Your dear Ichi is losing. It's only a matter of time before that Espada destroys him, leaving only a bitter memory of your love"

"Tch..." She couldn't deny Gamuza was right.

"If you want a chance to save him, this is it. Embrace your darkness. Embrace me and accept all you are"

"I... I..." She started doubting, as she remembered Ichigo and realized how much she wanted him to live.

"Betray, Nelliel. Betray and you shall rise beyond all the other Hollows. Betray, and you shall receive the power to stand besides your loved one for all eternity" Her voice was as tempting as it could get.

"I..." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Ichigo"

The chamois turned into a dark aura that wrapped her tenderly, giving her a power she could only dream of.

As she opened her eyes again, she picked her lance up and charged it with her pink Reiatsu.

"I'll break our promise, so that I can save you, Ichigo!"

As she threw the lance with all her strength, an explosion of black and pink Reiatsu surrounded her.

"What the...?" Ulquiorra noticed what occurred. "This was not supposed to happen"

Nelliel's upper body was covered by an armor of white skulls., while the lower part became black with the same pink markings Gamuza had and her horns grew larger and more twisted as well as they changed into a black color. Finally, her lance became pink, overflowing with Reiatsu.

She looked at Ulquiorra with defiant eyes as the lance came back to her hands.

"Leave him alone, Ulquiorra" She challenged him, not fearing the Espada in the slightest.

"Hmph... You think that your transformation is on par with mine? Don't make me laugh"

"I might not compare to your power on my own... But I'm not alone, am I?" Her hazel eyes gazed lazily at him.

"Pfft... Like that thing will understand the concept of ally" He mocked her decission.

"I'm not that thing's ally, I'm Ichigo's partner. All I'm gonna do is protect him"

"Suit yourself. I'm going to accomplish my objective no matter what"

"Good luck with that" Nel smiled, as the Vasto Lorde was already jumping violently towards Ulquiorra again.

Ulquiorra was about to stab the Vasto Lorde in response, but a spinning pink lance got in his way, allowing the Hollow to slash him down.

"Kgh...!" He frowned in pain as Nel got her lance back to her hand.

"All I have to do is support him from the distance" She explained. "There's no need for me to get on his way"

"Then I'll have to get you into the fight by force" The Espada replied, flying towards her.

Nel and Ulquiorra clashed with each of theur lances. _Chauve-Souris_ was definitely stronger than her weapon, but even then she was doing quite well.

She got a few steps back to evade one of his swings, when he revealed his true intentions.

"_Lanza del Relámpago_" He said as he blasted one of the green Reiatsu lances out of _Chauve-Sou__ris. _

Nel grinned at that decission though.

"_Traidor__!__" _As soon as the lance touched hers, it turned into pure Reiatsu and got reflected equally from her weapon towards the attacker.

"You gotta be kidding me...!" Ulquiorra murmured as Nel's pink doppelganger of _Lanza del Relámpago _was about to hit him.

The Espada swinged his lance as a helix, creating a giant hurricane that deflected her lance.

"_Ciclón de Murciélago_"

The pink lance exploded high in the sky, liberating the huge amount of power above them.

"A smart choice, but it seems you forgot about something" She reminded him with a soft voice.

A giant red _Cero_ hit him fully from the side. He had forgotten it was two against one.

"Damn you... Woman" He cursed. "Everything was going great until now. If only she had stayed weak, this would be a lot easier. Even so, all I have to do is put her in danger due to him... But I need more time" He thought.

"Way to go, Ichi" She thought happily, as he was safe. "Even if it's that Hollow the one acting right now, I know you're in there, somewhere. After we beat him, I'll get you out somehow, I promise"

The Vasto Lorde came towards Ulquiorra once again, jumping across the pieces of ground that were still in the air.

"Come... You two" The Espada was ready.

As he prepared to counter the Hollow, a Reiatsu _Lanzador Verde _came towards his way, just like he had expected.

"Now!" He thought as he grabbed the Vasto Lorde and threw him right in front of Nel's attack.

"No!" She yelled as she noticed.

The Hollow fell painfully on the ground and directed an angered look towards Nelliel.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!"

"Hrrr..." It growled, but decided to continue fighting Ulquiorra as he was closer and a bigger threat to him.

"Just a bit more..." The Espada thought, forcing the Vasto Lorde to follow him as he went towards Nelliel. "If I'm not mistaken, this girl..." He remembered a piece of information given to him very long ago.

_"There was once a very unpleasant whore with the ability to swallow and return an enemy's Cero__. She was a 3rd Espada, but one day she disappeared. Maybe she's dead, who cares?! Ahahahahahaha" Nnoitra told him in a casual yet unwanted conversation._

"That Nnoitra... I can tell he was ten thousand times more unpleasant than this woman, but let's see if I can get something good out of him" He thought, cutting the palm of his both hands with his horns.

"Wait, that is...!" Nel noticed.

"_Gran Rey Cero Oscuras!"_

The biggest _Cero_ she had ever seen came flying towards her. Never had she swallowed an attack of such magnitude, but she had no other choice.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on feeling the nature of the Reiatsu that was coming at her.

It was dark, it was electric, it was violent and yet... It was somehow sad and lonely.

She opened her mouth and the black and green Reiatsu started turning into a mist-like energy that entered her organism.

The huge attack, became fuel for her power in no time.

"Haaaa..." She finished swallowing it and mixed it all with her own _Cero. _

"Here it comes" Ulquiorra thought, bracing himself.

"RRRRAAAGGGHHHH!" She spat it all back where it came from.

A tremendous black and pink _Cero_ flew through the black desert, erasing everything on its path.

Ulquiorra grabbed the Vasto Lorde and threw him in front of the attack, making sure he received it all and understood the big threat Nelliel was for him as well.

"WWWWRRRYYYAAAHHH" The Vasto Lorde screamed in agony as he received Nel's counter.

The Hollow fell on the sand, regenerating all his limbs as they were damaged by the attack.

"Now he won't have other choice than to attack her" Ulquiorra thought.

As soon as he realized that, he felt a piercing pain go through him.

A pink lance was stabbing him through the back and coming out of his chest.

"What...? What do you think you're doing?!" Ulquiorra asked Nel in shock.

"I knew you would try to put him against me as soon as you saw yourself in a disadvantage, so I went ahead of your plan" She replied, determined to protect Ichigo until the very end.

"You know that thing will probably destroy us both, right?"

"Of course. It's the least I deserve for breaking my promise to Ichigo..." She smiled, although tears were falling down her cheeks.

"You... Idiot... It's even possible that you die and I survive. You would fall and scatter into Jigoku! How would that feel?!"

"I don't know, but I'm ready to find out"

The Vasto Lorde had gone back on its feet, and walked slowly yet full of anger towards the two Arrancar.

"This... Can't be!" Ulquiorra yelled, trying to get out with all his might, but Nel wouldn't let him go.

"D... DIE!!!" The Hollow screamed charging a red _Cero_ between its horns.

Ulquiorra had a look of rage and despair like never before, but Nel was smiling beautifully like she always did with her loved one.

"I may not understand love… But I surely know that it's the best thing that could happen to me. I'm sorry that I won't be there for you after everything ends, but even so... Thank you, Ichigo, for loving me like no one else did!" She screamed at him, with tears in her eyes.

And then, in that moment, Ichigo realized what was happening.

He looked through the eyes of the Hollow, and saw how he was about to kill the person he loved most.

"No... This can't...! This can't be happening!" He cried inside his subconscious. "I promised I would never hurt her! NEVER!"

The black space was starting to shake, shattering around him.

"And _I_ won't!" He yelled as he decided to take control of his body.

The Hollow was charging the _Cero_ when it started shaking frantically, one of its hands grabbing the left horn while the other hand trying to stop it.

"What...? What's going on?!" The two Arrancar wondered in astonishment.

As a result, the _Cero _ended up being shot into the sky.

"I-Ichigo!" Nel realized.

"Ungh... Uuuuuhhhrrgghh... UUUUUWWWRRRYYYEEEAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"

As the Vasto Lorde screamed, Ichigo broke the left side of the mask completely by pulling the horn out, letting half of his face uncovered.

His eyes had yellow irises with black sclera. His skin, although completely bleach, was fine.

The rest of the mask cracked once again freeing his white nose and the lower right part of his face as well. The only piece of mask that remained, was on his upper right section, covering his right eye and leaving a toothed piece of mask on his upper cheek and a single horn coming out of his head.

No more pieces fell however, meaning only one thing.

He was not a Vasto Lorde anymore, neither a Shinigami.

He had become, an Arrancar.

~~~~X~~~~

**Ever since I started writing this story, I had this part in mind. Now that I wrote it, damn... I gotta say it was as good as I had imagined.****I'd really like to hear what you guys thought of this chapter.**

**For those of you who don't know, the song in the beginning (From a pretty great band I gotta say) is the song chosen by Kubo himself to represent Ulquiorra and thus I put it in here. As a coincidence, it turns out that it does relate to the plot I designed (and gave a couple hints in this part) so it couldn't be better!**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Great chapter! Fantastic work! I also thought it was poetic on how you explained your view on life. But I digress. Till next update my friend! May your work shine on!_**

**Reply: Thanks for your compliment and good wishes. I gotta say that I am an artist after all, haha.**

**Guest: _You don't understand the power balance at all. No way in the blue hell, Ichigo will get exhausted fighting a guy weaker than ulquorra after mastering kido and final getsuga tensho._**

**Reply: First real critic I get, honestly. While I do appreciate your concern, I'm afraid I have to disagree about this.**

**You see, Arikado's power is not known by Ulquiorra, hence he could be just as powerful, if not stronger. Also, even if he was weaker, Ichigo's exhaustion was mainly due to the negative effect from the locusts' sting, not from damage, so dismissed.**

**See you guys next Chapter! (I can't wait to write it!) Evhron. **

**Glossary:**

**_Cero Centésimas__: _hundred****th****s of _Cero_.**

**_Uña Vampiro__: _Vampire Nail.**

**_Etapa Final: _Final Stage.**

**_Chauve-Souris: _Bat in French. Also, the best spear weapon in Castlevania CoD****.**

**_Traidor: _Traitor.**

**_Ciclón de Murciélago: _Bat's Cyclone.**


	17. A Perfect Union

"Nel...!"

He didn't care about anything else, he was just happy to see her alive.

"I-Ichigo! You are...!" She was out of words. Her happiness and amusement was immeasurable, but suddenly she didn't feel well. "What is...?"

The world around her started twisting around. She felt dizzy and was losing her consciousness.

"It seems... I went too far..." She murmured as an explosion of pink gas returned her to her child form.

"N-Nel...!" Ichigo grabbed her in the air and carefully left her little body in the sand. "*sigh* She's just asleep" He felt relieved.

Ulquiorra regenerated the hole in his chest immediately.

"I-I..." He started saying, but was stopped in an instant.

"Give me one reason not to completely obliterate you...!" Ichigo said as he pinned Ulquiorra to the ground and menaced to slash his throat with Zangetsu.

"I'm indeed sorry for all that, but now you have awakened, my King" He replied.

"W-What?" He flinched and let him go, only for Ulquiorra to get on his knees.

"Your Hollow, Kurosaki Ichigo, is the reincarnation of Gran Rey Cero. Your power, your aura... It can't mean other thing. I know I didn't use the most orthodox methods... But that doesn't matter anymore"

It was only then that Ichigo looked at himself. His white skin, his mask piece, his Hollow hole...

"I... Am...!"

"You are an Arrancar. The strongest of them all in fact" Ulquiorra clarified.

"I... Am just like... You... And Nel...?" He still couldn't digest it well.

"Exactly. Oh... Your Zanpakutou is right there" Ulquiorra pointed a white sword that was behind him.

"But my Zanpakutou is right here!" He said in disbelief, holding Zangetsu.

"That's your Shinigami katana, a mere memory of what you used to be. Your true Zanpakutou now, is the one beside you. Hold it, and learn its name, my King"

"My true... Zanpakutou..." He said as he put Zangetsu back on its Sheath.

He grabbed the white blade that was waiting for him and pulled it out of the sand.

As soon as he released it from the ground, he lost consciousness.

Inside his mind, he encountered that the world had changed once more.

The buildings that used to be in it, turned into some ruins in a desert he recognized as Hueco Mundo.

Sitting on a rock, was Tensa Zangetsu.

"Z-Zangetsu!" He called him.

"Ichigo. You've changed"

"Of course I've changed! That's why I wanna know, how do I go back?"

"Go back? That's impossible"

"What?"

"You're not a Shinigami anymore, and you cannot go back to being a human either. You are a Hollow now, an Arrancar to be exact"

"An... Arrancar..." He repeated.

"That's the way it goes"

"But, Zangetsu, what's the meaning of all this?! Why is Ulquiorra calling me _king__?_ Who is Gran Rey Cero? W-What... What's going on?!"

"I honestly don't know. You should ask... _That_ guy" The young man pointed at a deteriorated throne.

Laying carelessly on it, was the other half of him, though instead of the black mask, he had a black crown on top of his head.

"You!" He called.

"Ichigo! We finally meet!" The White Hollow greeted in an unexpectedly friendly way from his seat.

"Huh? What do you mean? I've known for a while now" He replied confused.

"Well, that's true in a way, but imprecise. That's because, the true me has been asleep until this very moment"

"Then, who are you?"

"By now, you should realize that my real name was never Zangetsu"

"Well, I never really bought that, to be honest"

"For now though... Let's not worry about the formal stuff. What they call me is not really important. What you should know now, King, is the name of my blade"

"Your blade?" He remembered the white Zanpakutou.

"Take care of it. It's the strongest Zanpakutou in all Hueco Mundo. It is called..." The White Hollow pointed at the moon in the black sky.

**_"...Las Noches"_**

Ichigo came back to the real world, holding the katana in his right hand while pressing Nel against his chest with his left arm, protectively.

"Ulquiorra..." He decided to ask him.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Would you mind explaining me all this deal of Gran Rey Cero and stuff?"

"There is a legend in Hueco Mundo, about its first King. An Arrancar of skin as white as the moon itself, with the power to bring any other Hollow to its knees just by releasing his Reiatsu..." Ulquiorra stopped for a moment. "To tell the truth, I don't know much about it... But ever since I confronted your Vasto Lorde form, I felt that there was something special about you. I don't really care if you are actually the reincarnation of Gran Rey Cero. All I wanted was to find someone who had the power and the ability to lead us all"

"So your plan was turning me into an Arrancar all along?" Ichigo was impressed.

"Once I learned about the strength of the King of Jigoku, I realized it was the only way... No one else would be capable of matching his power, now more than ever, since he has his Kamibuki back"

"Kamibuki?"

"Right. A weapon of the Gods. Yama is a banished Old God who seeks revenge against the others. I do not know much detail, but that's enough to know what he was looking for here"

"Here? You mean in Hueco Mundo?"

"Correct. I heard he was looking for an artifact called the _Heart of Tsukoyomi_. Again, I don't have additional information about it, but I heard of someone who could"

"Who would that be?"

"A nomad Arrancar who is said to be immortal"

Ichigo widened his eyes in amazement, although only his left one could be seen.

"Is such a thing... True?" He asked.

"I'm not sure... But I heard Barragan, the old Dos Espada who self-proclaimed as God-Emperor of Hueco Mundo, talking about it once. He sounded quite certain about it, and he was the oldest Hollow in his time"

"I see..." He said as he started getting a notion of what his life would be like from now on.

He wouldn't be able to go back to being human, not easily at least.

He wouldn't be able to go back to Soul Society.

He wouldn't be able to carry a simple life in Hueco Mundo either.

In a matter of minutes, his whole life had taken an unexpected turn into the unknown.

He strongly pressed his fist on his blade's handle with rage as he came to realize it all.

"My King..." Ulquiorra was calling his attention.

"Shut up" He replied angrily. "I don't wanna hear your voice until I know what I'm gonna do with my life from now on. You decided on your own what should have been _my_ choice! You realize that, Ulquiorra?!"

"But it was the only way. And I... I said I'm sorry" He looked more confused than sad.

"Well that's not enough, so you better keep your mouth shut"

The Espada only nodded in reply.

After that, he felt the presence of a group of individuals approaching.

It was everyone else, rushing to see how everything had turned out.

"Ichigo!" Rukia called from the distance.

She was very happy to see him alive, standing proudly with his long orange hair being caressed by the desert breeze, his bleach skin and Hollow hole, while holding a white blade in... Wait what?!

"No way..." Renji noticed as well.

"Ichigo..." Chad was speechless.

"Kurosaki is...!" Ishida couldn't believe it either.

"Kurosaki-kun...!" Orihime let a silent scream out as she covered her mouth with both hands.

Ichigo smiled sadly at all his friends.

"Yo..." He greeted, although he suddenly felt faint, collapsing into the black sand.

"My King!" Ulquiorra caught him, not letting him fall roughly, and catching little Nel in the process.

Ichigo had passed out completely though. It had been too much for him. The battle, his transformations, his feelings... His being couldn't take it anymore.

~~~~X~~~~

"U...Ungh..." Nelliel awoke in a familiar room. She was in Urahara's.

"Nel-san, you're awake! I'm so happy..." Orihime hugged her, crying.

"Inoue-san? What...? What happened?" She still felt confused. She had gone back to her adult form, but still felt a bit off.

"It seems you used more Reiryoku than you should have. Urahara-san explained to me that that's why you reverted back to your child form... But I healed that crack in your skull, so now you should be completely fine using all your strength"

"You... Healed it?!" She touched her skull, it was perfectly fine, like it had never been damaged. "Thank you so much Inoue-san! I... I don't know... How can I ever repay you!?" She hugged her strongly as well, crying out of pure happiness. She was so grateful, she couldn't help it.

"Don't worry, Nel-san... I'm glad I could help you. I wanted to ask you if you wanted to remove the scar as well" Orihime blushed due to a certain situation, though she didn't want to embarass her so she didn't say anything about it.

"No, don't worry about it" She wiped the tears off her face and let go. "I don't mind it and Ichigo doesn't seem to dislike..." She realized. "Where is he?!"

"Right by your side" She said smiling, although she still felt shook by everything that had happened.

Ichigo was sleeping soundly in a futton. His face was looking towards them, clearly showing the remaining piece of his mask.

"So... That wasn't a dream" Nel concluded as she caressed his cheek.

"No... We still have trouble believing it as well" Orihime replied sadly.

"How long is he going to be asleep?"

"I don't know. You were out for two days"

"Two days?!"

"Yeah, you took your time... It's not rare that Kurosaki-kun takes a while in waking up after great battles, so we're kinda used to it. I always worry nevertheless" She admitted.

"I see" She yawned. "I guess I'll go see how the rest is doing in the meantime" She got up, slowly realizing she was almost completely naked (only panties), though it didn't bother her much. Ichigo was unconscious and Orihime was a girl after all.

Inoue couldn't help but gaze at her beauty for an instant. Her curves where even more pronounced than hers (which was a real merit) and her lightly tanned skin gave her an exotic touch.

"Oh, right! I asked a friend to buy some clothes. Ishida-kun fixed your battle attire, but I don't think that's suitable to go around the house, right?" She smiled, leaving a striped black and white skirt and a grey armless sweater, as well as a white undershirt.

She wore the outfit, though she instantly blushed when she looked at the mirror.

"Isn't this a bit...?"

"I'm sorry about the odd choice. I asked Rangiku-san why were they so revealing, but she thought you had such a nice body that choosing a more normal attire would have been a waste"

"I understand. Don't worry, tell your friend I'm grateful" She smiled.

"I'll do when I see her, but, she's still in the Human World, so you can tell her yourself if you see her. Don't worry, as long as she sees you with those clothes she'll make sure to let you know it was her doing" She said happily.

"I'll take that into account. I'm gonna check up on the rest" Nel walked to the sliding door.

"Okay" Orihime replied, staying by Ichigo's side.

Such a picture made her feel rather... Uncomfortable.

"Hey, Inoue-san" She started saying with a more worried tone.

"What is it?"

"Later... I would like to talk to you alone"

The human knew that such a conversation would present itself sooner or later.

"I thought so. Don't worry... I know Kurosaki-kun is in love with you. I won't do anything weird, so rest assured"

"Even so, there is stuff I'd like to clear"

"Of course, I also have things I'd like to discuss. Just tell me when you are ready"

"Thank you, Inoue-san" She smiled at her warmly, as she knew she didn't have anything against her.

She decided to check up on her Fracción first, since it was obvious that they wanted to know about about her before anyone else, so she went to the tea room.

"Nel-sama, you're awake!" Pesche greeted her. "We were so worried about you! Dondochakka cried so much the room got flooded and I almost drowned last night..."

"N-Nel-sama!" The named Arrancar cried once again.

"I'm so happy to see you again!" She kindly hugged the two.

"How do you feel?"

"Like never before, look!" She showed them her skull.

"Oh, that's amazing!" The two celebrated.

"All thanks to Inoue-san... But, what about you two? How was your fight?" She sat down to hear them.

"We had to use all of our strength. We didn't tell you before, cause we wanted to keep it a secret but... We know _Resurrección_!"

"Really? Now _that's _amazing!" She gave back their compliment. "I can't wait to see how powerful you become!"

"Though... Nel-sama" Dondochakka started saying. "What did you do that forced you to go back to your child form?"

"About that... I also unlocked a new power. I know I shouldn't have in my condition, and I paid the price afterwards but... I unlocked _Segunda Etapa_"

"So that was it..." Pesche replied, pensive. "I mean, I'm very happy for you, Nel-sama! But even so, I can't imagine the effort you made in order to achieve it like that"

"More than effort, I think it was on impulse. Ichigo was in trouble and I... I just had to do something"

"I know, Nel-sama, but please don't do something so dangerous again!" Dondochakka said worried.

"I know. You guys must've been really worried, but I'm fine, and Ichigo is too..." She thought a bit if that was true. After all, no one really knew how Ichigo was feeling after the outcome of their battle. "More importantly... Who was that ally you found?"

"Oh that!" Pesche remembered. "You see, the 8th Duke was in search for some powerful artifact in the heart of Ruinas Huecas. We stopped him before he reached it, but after we entered the chamber and observed the object, an Arrancar came as well. He said to be the immortal guardian of the Heart of Tsukoyomi, an ancient relic with amazing powers!"

"What kind?" She was amazed as well.

"Well, about that..." Dondochakka pushed Pesche to say the truth.

"The Arrancar didn't want to tell us, or anybody. He even denied Harribel-sama!" Pesche replied.

"Harribel! How are she and Grimmjow?"

"They are doing quite well right now. Harribel-sama started calling the Hollows back to Hueco Mundo, and it has gone quite well. Grimmjow is... Well, like always" The blonde explained. "The thing is... This Arrancar, Nakagawa-san, said to be willing to tell Ichigo-sama about the Heart of Tsukoyomi"

"Ichigo? Why?" She was confused.

"He didn't explain that either..." Dondochakka made a pose of not knowing.

"Where is Nakagawa?" She wanted to ask him personally.

"In Ruinas Huecas. He said he would wait for Ichigo in there when he wanted answers" Pesche answered.

"How strange... Well, there must be a reason behind this, though I doubt Ichigo will be ready to go back after everything that happened" She remembered someone else. "Where is Ulquiorra?"

"Strangely enough, he's here, in the Human World. Heh, you might imagine that everyone wanted him to drop dead after all this, but he explained how everything was part of his plan to stop the rise of the Demons" Pesche replied.

"So that was it! But then... Ichigo becoming an Arrancar was...?"

"...Part of his plan" The blonde completed. "To evade further conflict, he's staying at Inoue-san's house. She decided so, so don't worry"

"I understand. Where are the others?"

"Well, Ishida and Chad have continued with their normal lives for the moment, but I can tell they are eager to come as soon as Ichigo-sama wakes up"

"I thought so. Rukia-san and Renji-san must be in similar circumstances"

"Yes. They went back to Soul Society, but are ready to come back under the same conditions"

"What about the Vizards?"

"They are currently in Soul Society. It seems that they wanted to bring their other members here to see Ichigo in his new state for some reason" Dondochakka replied.

"I imagine they would be at least interested in doing so... Well, thank you guys for your time!" She got up.

"Where are you going so soon?" Pesche asked.

"I wanted to ask Urahara-san a couple things. He's here, right?"

"That will be impossible" Yoruichi said as she entered the room.

"Yoruichi-san!" Nel greeted her. "What do you mean?"

"Urahara was summoned by the Gotei 13 to attend a meeting regarding this whole Demon-thing. Probably they have absolutely no idea about the situation and how to deal with it so they had no choice but to call him. They are very proud, so it's the only reason I see for them to request his presence. After all, he's quite disliked by the higher ups in Soul Society"

"Oh, I see..."

"He actually took that Demon you two saved along to get more info"

"Oh, Arikado!" She had totally forgotten about him. "Well, so that's how things are..." She was a bit disappointed.

"I bet you want to know more about Ichigo" She predicted.

Nel nodded worried.

"*sigh* I'd love to tell you that he's gonna be okay and all, but the truth is, what Ichigo went through is something no one has ever experienced before, so... We don't really know if his condition is irreversible, which probably is. Although... I don't see how that would be a problem for you"

"Pardon me?" She didn't seem to get it.

"Well, he is one of your kind now. Not gonna lie, Ichigo _is_ pretty popular among women, but with this I think it is pretty much settled that you are the winner"

"Tsk..." Nelliel suddenly felt bothered by such a comment. "Ichigo and I've been dating for almost 2 years" She gave her a dread look.

"Oh really? And what are you married to him or somethin'?" She kept teasing her, although Nelliel was not in the mood for it. "As far as I know (and believe me, I do)... You two have never really _done_ _it"_

"Done what?" She asked, more confused than angry now.

"Hey, Yoruichi-san, how come Renji's not around to help me with this stuff?!" Rangiku pouted as she entered as well. "Oh, Nel-chan!"

"Do I know you?" Nel asked confused.

"Oh, where are my manners. I'm Matsumoto Rangiku, Lieutenant of the 10th Division, but more importantly, the one who picked that fabulous attire! Oh my God, you look gorgeous! I mean, I knew you would, but seeing you is just... Wow! Ichigo is a really lucky guy, isn't he?"

"Oh... You are Rangiku-san, well... Thanks for-"

"Actually, Rangiku. We were about to have a very important conversation that has to do with that here, so why don't you join us?" Yoruichi invited. "I have Sake"

"Well what is the holdup?! Let's start at once!" She sat down with them. "What is it? Tell me!"

"I-I don't know! Yoruichi-san just... Said something about _doin__g _some special thing with Ichi and I really don't get it" Her voice showed how upset that made her.

"Oh my God... Can this be true?!" The dark-skinned woman thought between chuckles with a devilish grin. "You two, go for a walk or whatever, but get out! It's time for a girl's talk"

"Y-Yes ma'am!" Pesche followed her orders. "Let's go, Dondochakka"

"Yeah..." He was already feeling awkward.

Yoruichi closed the doors to the room.

"What's going on?" Nel asked.

Yoruichi got hold of a bottle of Sake that was inside the cabinet and passed it to Rangiku.

"Grab a seat, cause this is gonna be interesting" The Lieutenant said as she winked an eye and filled three small cups.

It had been like an hour of revelations and drinking for the three, although Nel decided to stop after her second drink since she was feeling funny.

"I still can't believe you hadn't heard of that!" Yoruichi laughed, chugging another cup.

"I-I mean...! We _do_ know about that in Hueco Mundo. It's just that... It's something some Adjuchas do to each other to establish dominance and stuff... But I never thought love could be involved in that activity!"

"Well, for what I've heard, you don't really know about love in Hueco Mundo in the first place" Rangiku pointed out. "How pitiful..."

"I once overheard from Barragan's Fracciones that he used to have concubines when he was King but... That's not love is it? Especially coming from an arrogant prick like him..." Nel noted.

"But then... Some Arrancar _do_ know the pleasures of the flesh..." Yoruichi pointed out with a smirk.

Nel shrugged, feeling uncomfortable at such a mention. She never felt attracted like that to anyone she'd met before Ichigo. On the contrary, she did suspect some Arrancar to look at her with lustful intent back when she was one of Aizen's Espada, but she preferred to turn a blind eye and avoid any conflict, and since she was number three, only below Barragan (number 1 was left unused until Aizen found the perfect Arrancar), no one ever tried to mess with her in that sense.

"Um... Did you ever love someone... You know... Like that, Rangiku-san?" Nel asked her.

Rangiku seemed surprised at furst, but then a sweet smile was drawn on her lips as she remembered a love of dried persimmon.

"Ha... Yes, I did. But... He's no longer here..." She said with a hint of sadness. "Gin..." She thought, remembering his blue eyes and reptile grin.

"Oh... I'm... Sorry..." She apologized.

"Don't feel bad about it. I'm fine" She didn't lie, although it still was a sad memory

"And... What about you, Yoruichi-san? I heard you and Urahara-san are..." She tried to change the topic.

"Pretty close? I can't deny that... We are childhood friends after all. Do I love him in a romantic way though?" She digressed to herself for a moment. "Beats me. At this point, I don't even know what our relationship would be. If you're wondering about sex though... Of course, we do it from time to time cause, it's just great, haha. And Kisuke... Well, let's just say he's good at it" She smirked.

"But, Nel..." Rangiku called her attention again.

"Yes?"

"You really had _never_ heard of such thing before? I don't know... I just have the feeling that, maybe Hollows have a legend about love or something of sorts"

That made Nel think for a moment.

"A legend..." She suddenly remembered something. "I think this was a very long time ago... But someone I can't remember once told me, something like that"

"Hmm? What was it?" Yoruichi became curious as well.

"That there was a time, in which Hollows found someone else. Someone... Meant for you and only for you. Someone..." She thought of Ichigo. "Who filled the void inside your soul. And that, after becoming one... They were not Hollow anymore. They were complete. They were..."

The word came out of the depths of her mind, until it was in the tip of her tongue, and then coming out of her lips: "...Whole"

The two women were astonished by her revelation.

"Where... Where did you hear that?" Rangiku asked.

"I don't remember. I think... An Arrancar I met back when I was an Adjuchas told me but... I don't know. It was so long ago, and at that time... It sounded so confusing..."

"But it's not anymore. If such a thing is true... You would be killing two birds with one stone" Yoruichi said seriously. "It's clear, isn't it?" She asked her.

She knew what it finally meant, and she had found her other half. They could be... Whole.

"As water" Nelliel felt as if the alcohol was completely eliminated from her system, although her face was still slightly red.

"Mission accomplished then!" Yoruichi concluded, proud. "Well then, don't let this talk go to waste"

"*yawn* Drinking makes me so sleepy" Rangiku said. "Wake me up for dinner, I'm taking a little nap"

"Sure. There are plenty of rooms"

"Thanks. Good luck, Nel-chan!"

"Th-Thanks..." The Arrancar blushed.

"As for me, I'll go sleep in a rooftop or something" She turned into a black cat.

"What?!" Nel was astonished. "Is that you, Yoruichi-san?!"

"The one and only" She replied with a male voice. "See ya" She left by walking elegantly with her four paws.

"Woah... It's been one crazy day, and it's far from over as I gotta go talk with..." She remembered. "...Inoue-san"

She came back to the room where Ichigo was resting.

Orihime was reading a cooking book confused.

"But... Why would they leave this recipe so mediocre? It's clear that this side of mashed potatoes would get even better with a sauce of tabasco, chocolate and wasabi added to the mix" She murmured as she frowned. "Oh, Nel-san. How did it go?"

"Good. Everyone is alright it seems, and I came across Rangiku-san so I thanked her for the clothes"

"Really? That's good to hear. You... Look a bit red"

"Oh this. Well, I drank a bit of Sake with Yoruichi-san and Rangiku-san, but it wasn't much. Guess I'm not used to it"

"Probably"

"Now... I think it's time we have that talk" She went to the main topic.

"Okay. I... I'm not very good at starting complex conversations so, I'd really appreciate if you began"

"No problem" She agreed. "The thing is... That I had my doubts at first. I wasn't really sure about your feelings towards Ichigo... But now it's clear to me. Even now... You... You love him. Don't you, Inoue-san?" She asked, although she was certain of the answer.

"I...!" She was surprised to be asked so directly, but, she was an Arrancar after all. "Yes, I do... But...!"

"I know. You don't plan to get in my way, much less taking Ichigo away from me. I know that, Inoue-san, cause you're too sweet" She smiled at her and hugged her to show her appreciation. "But I wanted to know, cause it's important that you are also true to your own feelings. I... I only want Ichigo to be happy, so if by any chance, he prefers to stay with you, I will understand, and we'll keep being good friends like always"

"Even if you say that... Now that he's like this... *sigh* It's clear that he... He's all yours" Orihime started crying.

"What are you saying Inoue-san? One thing doesn't imply the other. It's true, we're both Arrancar now, but it was never a barrier for me that he was a Shinigami or a Human. I just love him, and that's how you should think as well"

"But..." She didn't want to say it, but she thought it was necessary, to start letting go. "I know how it must've been"

"What do you mean?"

"When he became a Hollow. You... You called his name right?" She deduced.

"Y-Yes... How did you know?"

"Cause when he did so the first time, it was I who screamed his name. Before it happened, Cif...Ulquiorra told me that his plan was awaking his Hollow and that I was needed for it. When I refused to help him, he said he had a backup. I couldn't imagine what he meant by that, but once I heard about the way you rushed to his side, it was all clear to me. Ulquiorra confirmed it. He knew you two were in love, and he knew your voice would force him to keep fighting even when his Shinigami body was dead. His plan relied on the fact that he became an Arrancar trying to protect you from him, but your sudden powerup made things a lot more complicated for his plan"

"Wow... I never... I never thought about it that way" She felt guilty about it. "When I called his name... I just thought he would somehow get back on his feet. I never...! I never imagined he would turn into a mindless Hollow!"

"Don't worry, Nel-san. I know you never had that intention" Now it was her turn to comfort her. "And in the end, there is nothing to lament for. Things just went another way, and you managed to do something I couldn't. You forced Ichigo to fight his Hollow and go a step beyond"

"Was that... Because of me?" She was amused.

"Yeah. I'm sure that no one else could have pulled that off. I heard him, in his sleep... Calling your name" She revealed. "He _loves_ you, more than he'll ever love me. I really... I really don't know where did I go wrong, but maybe, such thing was... Never meant"

"I don't know about that but, the only thing you ever did wrong I think, was not accepting him completely"

"Huh?"

"Back in Hueco Mundo, when we were watching him as he fought Grimmjow, you were scared of his Hollow mask"

"His... Hollow..." She realized, feeling a hint of fear.

"You've always been scared of the Hollow part of him, but, you should have never been. Ichigo is... Ichigo. It doesn't change wether he is a human like you or an Arrancar like me. Even as a savage Vasto Lorde, his true self was still inside, somewhere, and I'm sure that no matter what he decides to do in the future, he will still be himself"

"*sob* I understand" She started crying with deep sorrow. "I feel so stupid for only realizing that fact now. Now I know the reason I lost him... But, there's nothing I can do by knowing that anymore" She smiled sadly.

"But that's where you are wrong! You haven't lost Ichigo... He will always cherish you as one of his best friends, I'm sure" She put her hand in her shoulder in a friendly way. "On the other hand, what you learned of this experience is that when you love, you accept the other as a whole. Nobody is perfect, or how you want them to be, but I believe that learning to live even with those differences can also be fun. Then again... I know next to nothing about love so... Maybe I'm just spouting nonsense here"

Orihime let a single tear out before smiling and washing it away.

"No, not at all. In fact, you have cleared my mind. You are an amazing person, Nel-san. I... I'm even happy to leave Kurosaki-kun in your hands"

"You really think that? Cause, you don't have to act friendly if you don't feel like it. I know it must be difficult to like me after-"

"No. I'm glad, from the bottom of my heart. The only thing I ask... Is that you take care of him, cause you can't even imagine how far he can go just for you to be happy. That's how he is"

"I know, and I will" She replied with a warm smile. "You know? I'm actually ashamed of this… But you see, the main reason I learned Kaidou, wasn't so I could heal Ichigo. It was because I was jealous of you. The first time I saw him drop dead, by Ulquiorra's hands, I thought that was all. I couldn't possibly do anything to save him... But then, you appeared. You were like his angel. No matter what was the damage, you healed him and brought him back to life. Even now… I feel a bit of envy for that. Because I know that I'll never have the power to do such a thing. Now that he's an Arrancar… I doubt he'll need my healing abilities at all… I'm sure his regeneration is a world above Ulquiorra's, which is simply unimaginable. In that sense… I can't help but feel useless"

"Do you really feel that way?" Orihime was surprised.

"Yeah. I thought you were so... Perfect for him. You complimented him with that power, and that's something I'll never be able to do" She made a troubled face.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Ulquiorra told me about the fight. To be only in _Segunda Etapa_, you were a real threat to him" She revealed. "Actually, I am jealous of you too, because you are strong. I can only dream of fighting by Ichigo's side. It's true, I don't like fighting, but that's in part because I'm weak. If I had your strength, I'm sure I'd be helping Ichigo fight wherever he went. Even now, you keep growing stronger, to levels of power that might allow you to battle with him by your side even now. You are amazing, Nel-san" She confessed.

"Really? I feel a bit better by hearing that" She chuckled. "How ironic indeed. I would've never thought of something like that. But I can't help but think, that right now, it's possible that his powers are above of what any of us can ever accomplish"

"Maybe what Ulquiorra said is true. By becoming an Arrancar he has become capable of defeating the King of Jigoku"

"I'm sure he has. Ichigo can do anything he sets his mind to" She smiled as she looked at him, still sleeping.

"That is true..." Orihime did the same. "Well, I guess I'll leave him in your hands now. You should be the first one he sees once he wakes up. After all, you are the one he's mostly worried about"

"Are you sure you are okay with this? You don't want to tell him how you feel at least once?"

"There's no need. I understand how things are now, and telling him that would only make us all uncomfortable, wouldn't it?" She looked at Nel awkwardly.

"Well, I can't deny that... But I can leave if-"

"No. It's time... I let him go. And like I said, I can't think of someone better to be with him" She smiled with closed eyes at the Arrancar. "So good luck. And if he asks, just tell him I'm fine"

Nelliel cried due to the emotive nature of the situation, and hugged Orihime strongly, which made the human cry as well.

"You are wonderful Inoue-san. Despite me being a rival in love, you've done only good things for me... I think I've never met someone as kind as you are. I hope... I hope you find someone who loves you and takes good care of you, cause you deserve it more than anyone else"

"Thank you, Nel-san. I too wish for only happiness in your lives" She let go of the hug and stood up with her hands resting on Nel's shoulders. "See ya!" She left with a waving hand.

"I won't fail you, Inoue-san. I'll take good care of Ichigo, for the rest of our lives" She thought as she kneeled by the side of the sleeping Arrancar.

~~~~X~~~~

It was far past midnight.

In the end, there was no dinner, as Rangiku did not wake up again that day and Yoruichi was sleepy as well.

It was true that Nel didn't really need to eat under normal conditions, but the poor Reishi present in the Human World's atmosphere did give her a sense of hunger.

Despite that, she did not leave Ichigo's side ever since Orihime left the room.

She was his nurse, she was his guardian and, above all, she was his lover.

Even after being there for hours, she entertained herself by seeing how the moon's shine was reflected on Ichigo's face.

"He's like... The moon itself" She thought happily.

At about 3 AM, she felt a tad sleepy. The alcohol she had drunk earlier was starting to make effect.

"No... I gotta... Stay awake... He... Needs... Me..." She muttered as she remembered how Orihime remarked how important she was for him.

Then, just as she was entering her dreams, it happened.

A yellow eye covered in black sclera was opened.

Ichigo instantly recognized the place, but more importantly, the person that was by his side.

"N... Nel...?" He almost whispered as he slowly woke up.

But that whisper was enough to make her come to life.

"Ichigo!" She opened her eyes immediately.

The two stared at each other for a couple seconds. They couldn't have been happier to see that the other was fine.

"Nel!" He smiled and grabbed her by the head to kiss her.

She missed that so badly. In reality, it had only been a couple hours since she last saw him, but each minute, each second without him had been purgatory.

"Ichigo... I'm so, so happy to hear you again" She embraced him tightly.

As she did so, he felt how his horn touched the top of her head.

"It was... All real" He muttered.

She stopped cuddling to look him in the eye and confirm what he was thinking about.

"Yes, Ichigo... You are... An Arrancar"

He closed his eyes and sighed for a moment.

"Ichi...?" She asked worried.

"Yes?"

"Do you feel...? Troubled by that?"

"Troubled? No. It's just a big change, that's all" He smiled to calm her.

"Did you dream about something?"

"For some reason, I can't remember. What about you?"

"Me neither. When I woke up, I felt like the last thing I saw was you becoming an Arrancar"

"It was what happened before you passed out. You really had me worried..." He caressed her head and hair.

When she remembered that, she couldn't help but cry.

"I'm so sorry... I..." She deviated her look from his. "I broke our promise..."

"I know..." He sighed.

"It was just that... I felt so weak... So helpless and... Gamuza told me that if I betrayed you... I would have the power to save you...!" She hid her face in his futton. "I thought... I thought I would lose you if I didn't do something"

"Nel..." He took her by under her arms, grabbing her shoulders, and pulled her towards him. "You are alive. That's all I care about now..."

She kissed him wildly after hearing that. She still felt a bit guilty, but he had clearly forgiven her.

"Oh, Ichi... I think I've never been happier to be with you. After all that's happened, I feel like it's a miracle to be here... In your arms..."

"Really? Cause I feel exactly the same. Holding you... Is something I can't even imagine, not in my wildest dreams. The only thing that makes it possible for me to believe it, is feeling your soft skin and kissing your lovely lips"

Nel entered the futton completely to cuddle with him like they used to do in the Dangai.

The warmth of his skin, his soft touch and sweet kisses were something that didn't change, even now. In fact, it seemed that his new body made her feel wilder that night. Like an instinct she had never felt was suddenly taking over.

"Hey, Ichigo. Do you remember what you asked me the first time we kissed?"

"Hmm..." He thought for a moment. As soon as he realized, his eye got widened to the limit. "No way...!"

Nel smiled happily as she saw his reaction. He remembered.

"It's true that a side of me wishes I was never a Hollow in the first place… But..." She pressed her forehead against his, gently tangling one of her horns around his. "...Seeing you like this, an Arrancar, just like me… I couldn't be happier to share the rest of my Hollow existence with you..."

"Nel...!" Like always, he was out of words.

"If there is someone in this entire universe that can fill my void... It is you, Kurosaki Ichigo" The warm breath of her mouth converged with his, lustfully calling for him.

Ichigo started to feel especially aroused by her, possibly because of her seductive tone.

"And that…" She was whispering. "That's not nearly as close to describing my love for you. I guess the closest I can put into words… Is that I wish I could die and be born again, to fall in love with you again and again and again for the rest of eternity"

And that choice of words, that exquisite voice, that moonlight gently illuminating the two as they shared that sacred moment... Made Ichigo awaken his true instinct as well.

He did not say another word, he just let his tongue inside her agape mouth to raise the heat.

Their tongues simply collided as the two cuddled the other's body, in between gasps and moans that only made them want more.

She always liked how he touched her. He was always worried that she didn't feel uncomfortable in any way, but today was different. She could sense he was a lot wilder, probably due to the Hollow tendencies nascent in him, and oh how she liked it, but she knew he was still trying to contain his true wishes.

To feed his unusual frenzy, she decided to pull off her undershirt, while still leaving her armless sweater shirt on.

"I know you want to touch them..." She whispered, blushing a bit as it was still a bit embarrassing for her. "...So go ahead. I want you to feel me..."

Ichigo shyly groped her breasts under the sweater, feeling their softness and bounce.

"This... Has to be Heaven" He thought as he bacame enthralled by the exquisite softness of her bust's skin.

She moaned a bit in pleasure as he did so, but she knew there could be more, so she slid her sweater's border towards the center, letting her melons out.

The ex-Shinigami had never gotten the chance to truly behold them in any previous opportunity. Their perfectly round shape and tremendous size was hipnotizing, and seeing her cute pink nipples in the center of such perfection filled his being with a single thought.

It didn't take a second before he pressed one of her mountains against his mouth, making her moan even louder.

After a while, he felt her clothing was getting in the way, so he did not even think twice as he pulled Nel's sweater up.

By doing so, he was able to see something he had never gotten his eyes on. In the center of Nel's chest, always covered by her massive jugs, he could see the black void of her being. Her Hollow Hole.

She noticed what he had found, and suddenly covered herself with her hands.

"It must be... Unisightly, isn't it?" She felt saddened.

But Ichigo gently disarmed her protective pose.

"It's beautiful"

"You are just saying-"

"Cause I love everything about you. I love you, Nel. All of you"

And that made her drop a pair of tears of joy as Ichigo kissed her void, her neck and finally...

"Ichigo...!" She embraced him again and pressed her lips against his, moaning inside his mouth as she was engulfed by happiness, born of his unconditional acceptance.

With his white muscular torso against her lightly tanned curvy bossom, Ichigo pulled her hair gently as he continued kissing her.

The moment they reached for air, their mouths separated slowly, leaving a delicate string of saliva still connecting, reminding them how this was just beginning.

"~Haa... Haa...~" She panted. "But Ichi... You still don't get it do you...?" She pinned him to the futton, like a wild beast in heat.

"What...?" He asked confused as he panted as well.

"...I am yours" She whispered in his ear, biting it playfully afterwards.

With that phrase resonating in his head, endlessly forming vicious circles, he carefully pulled her skirt and the rest down.

She did the same with his ragged pants, in order to fulfill her desire completely.

To beckon his lust.

To betray her loneliness.

To become one.

To be...

**WHOLE**

Ichigo could feel her wet lhabia against his lower body. She was ready, and so was he.

In response, he converged with her being carefully but determined as well.

As he entered her moist and warm inside, he couldn't help but exhale in pleasure.

"Oh fuck..." He couldn't help but say.

"Ah!" She did a little scream of pain.

"Nel... Are you...?" He got worried, even in that situation.

"I-I'm fine... Just... Keep going...!" She moaned with small tears forming in her orbs, as Ichigo held her hand and she thought: "You're so sweet... Ichi"

The first seconds of pain were nothing compared to the world of pleasure she felt afterwards as Ichigo filled her inside.

Their minds couldn't keep up with their feelings, but it was okay. Both were happy, as happy as they could ever be.

Ichigo pulled her towards him, so that they would be as close as physically possible, and that made her feel so joyful.

She wanted to be one with him as much as he wanted it. It was simply perfect.

Ichigo rolled her over as she kissed him madly again, and again, and again...

"~Mhhhm!~" She moaned even as their mouths were together and their bodies were bathed in the other's sweat, only raising their lust as the scent they loved most became the only thing they could smell.

After that long kiss, she went back on top, ready to dance to the symphony of her Ichi's panting, craving for more.

He could see hearts in her eyes as she muttered "I love you..." without stop. Such thing only made him more horny, so he pulled her against him once more and playfully bit her lip.

"I love you... Ichigo... I... Love you... So much..." She moaned with teary hazel eyes.

"I love you... Nel... More... Than you... Can imagine..."

Still as one, they cuddled more and felt the other as much as they could.

She touched his muscular abdominals and chest, while he sucked her breasts and pressed her soft derriere against him.

"Ichi..."

"Nel..."

The two repeated each others' names like there was no end.

For them it was more than just a name, it was a bewitching word containing all that the person they loved was.

"You're amazing... Nel" He thought as he saw her naked figure on top of him bathed by the moonlight, like a Goddess.

"Ah...! Fuck... Me...!" She screamed with pleasure as she was in a trance, drooling in ecstasy because of the mixture of pleasure and pain. She was a masochist after all.

He grabbed her breasts violently with his hands as he frenzily searched for her lips to connect his tongue with hers, feeling her sweet saliva run through his mouth.

"C'mon Ichi... Give me more... Ravage me... You know... I'm addicted to pain... But even more to you!" She moaned, her body begging to be bathed in that marvelous cacophony produced by the addicting pain and the most certainly wonderful pleasure.

He fulfilled her wish by forcing her into submission, proceeding to slap her juicy peach-shaped rear, which got redder with every slap as he heard her screams of ecstasy getting louder and louder.

"Like that! It's no fun... Unless you hit me and make me cry...!" Nel screamed as her mind became blank, only driven by her love and lust towards him, her ass burning hot red and her mouth dripping her healing drool all over the futton.

"You are mad... Nel... And I fucking love that..." Ichigo whispered as he turned her around and entwined his horn around hers as he alternated bites and kisses with her lips.

"I love you, Ichi... I'm crazy for you!" She cried as her nails were embedded on his skin, giving him an extremely arousing pain.

And so they continued, their minds taken over by their most primal instincts.

With a rebel yell, she cried more, more, more... And Ichigo happily fulfilled her wish every time.

"~Haaah~ ~Haaah~" The two panted as the moment was coming closer.

Still, they knew that even after their carnal expression of love was over, the feelings they held for each other would not change.

They would love the other as much as they did now. That, was a fact.

Unvarying.

Unchanging...

UNDYING

"Ahh! ICHIGO!" It was time.

"N-NEL!" And for him as well.

And so the moment the two bodies got to the climax of pleasure arrived at last. The moment both told in a physical manner, how much they loved the other.

Ichigo pressed her against him as he devoured her mouth and left his seed in the temple of pleasure that was her body.

After taking air, while slowly plugging out, Nel held Ichigo's horn to pull him closer.

"*pant* *pant* Ichigo..." She smiled, drunk by pure love.

"Oh, Nel..." He went on top and kissed her again.

The string of saliva formed again as they breathed heavily, going from Nel's wet hanging tongue to his mouth as the two panted.

"Hahahahahaha..." She laughed, still doped by the effect of her own endorphins.

"What's so funny...?" Ichigo asked puzzled.

"I was just... Remembering how Yoruichi-san told me this was like the best thing ever..."

"Oh, I see. And... Is it?"

"Thanks to you... It is" She gave him a little peck.

"I'm glad... And I couldn't agree more" He smiled and held her hand, but suddenly turned completely red. "Hey, Nel..."

"What is it?" She noticed he became worried.

"I thing we made quite the ruckus so... It's possible the whole damn shop heard us"

"Ah... Fuck"

"Yeah..." Ichigo could already imagine the puns Yoruichi would throw him the next day, week, month and possibly, she would remind him for the rest of his life.

"Psyche!" She blinked an eye and sticked her tongue out. "I don't think anyone is awake"

"What did you do?"

"Everyone's more than boozed, or well, at least Rangiku-san and Yoruichi-san overdid it, that's how I got to know the term. It was during the late afternoon, so I think they are all asleep. Pesche and Dondochakka stay in the training grounds during the night, so you don't have to worry about them"

"Well... It's a lot better that way" He felt relieved. But, it was not the only thing he felt at that moment. "Huh?"

"What's wrong?"

"I feel... Something in my chest. Like, something's growing..."

"Something... Growing...?" She touched her chest as well.

The two felt the same, but had trouble seeing what was occuring, because of the location of their Hollow Holes, but they could perfectly see it in the other.

"Ichigo...!" She exclaimed astonished.

"What's going on?"

"Around your Hollow Hole... There's a mark shaping"

"What is it?"

Nelliel looked at it. Although the moon was their only light, the mark was shining. It was a pink light, the same color as her Reiatsu.

"It is like... A battle lance" She passed her finger around it.

"Like yours?"

"Not exactly. This one is one-sided only... Though its point seems a lot longer. What does this mean?" She was just as oblivious as him.

"Wait... Let me see your Hollow Hole...!" Ichigo requested.

"R-Right" She complied, carefully showing the space between her breasts.

Around her void, the mark of a black double edged scythe was formed.

"You also have something. It's like a scythe"

"What colour is it?"

"Pitch black" He replied, observing it. "You really have no idea what this could be?"

And then it hit her.

_"...After becoming one, they were not Hollow anymore" _She remembered her own words. "Could it be...?"

"What is in your mind?"

"I think I know what these markings mean"

"Really?"

"Yes!" She felt so happy as she realized, kissing Ichigo passionately again.

"Heh... Nel, what's with you so suddenly?" He asked.

"These markings, are the proof that we're not Hollow anymore"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure, but the only thing I can think of is of an old legend I heard once. One that speaks of the possibility of two Hollows loving each other, and that after their union is consolidated, their void is filled"

"That means...!"

"Yeah!" She pinned him down again and gave him an inuit nose kiss. "We're not Hollows anymore, we're Wholes. I'm literally yours, Ichigo, and you... Are mine, forever" She rested her head in his chest, feeling how his dark emptiness was beating, just like a heart.

She felt delighted, and so did he after hearing that. The two Arrancar, had gained a heart as a reward for their ritual of love.

"And I couldn't be happier any other way"

The inamorata kissed him one last time before finally falling asleep together, with their fingers entangled.

Now they were the same.

They were one.

They were...

W H O L E

~~~~X~~~~

**Damn... Before I get anyone saying that I lied when I said that I didn't write lemons, _this _is what I understand limes as. A sex scene? Yeah, but one correctly paced where the most important thing is the love between the two characters. Also, lots of kisses, cuddles and stuff... But not shit like "And she sucked his massive d...!" No. Just, no.**

**Anyways, like always, I hope you liked this chapter. It had been a while since we were out of the fighting business, so it should be a nice change of pace.**

**With that said, let's head to...**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Oh. My. SOUL KING! Amazing chapter! I loved it! I especially liked how you added Ulquiorra's Bleach Brave Souls Anniversary Design along with Ichigo's as well! Amazing! And now, Ichigo is an Arrancar?! Holy moly! What could this mean for the future?! Update again soon! I must have more!_**

**Reply: Well, Ulquiorra's is not exactly the same design (though I based a couple aspects on it), since the eyes are different (because of a reason I'll explain later on another Chapter), he has three pairs of wings instead of two, his Hollow hole remains the same and he gets a Final Weapon. Ichigo's Arrancar design is almost the same as the one you mentioned however (his eyes have black sclera), and I still don't understand how he's not considered "Soul Reaper/Arrancar" but whatever, K-Lab sucks at those labels anyway.**

**Mr. Marston: _Man was this an update! Ichigo will now be able to protect those he cares about awaking his powerful Arrancar form. Keep the chapters coming, this just keeps getting better and better..._**

**Reply: Yeah, now more than ever he'll need this powerup, as the Demons remaining are on another league. I'll keep doing my best!**

**Guest: _Ulquorra's ceros should not have touched Ichigo considering aizen's nuclear ceros could not do much against him. What bloody Ulquorra wanker you are!_**

**Reply: Hahaha! Now, chill, man. Ulquiorra in this fic is way stronger because of the resurrection. His base form is stronger than Harribel's Resurrección. His power scale is more like: Base form equals Dangai Ichigo (past), Resurrección is a bit weaker than new Dangai Ichigo with mask and, Segunda Etapa is stronger than that form but weaker than True Vasto Lorde Ichigo (as I call him).**

**I checked it all again, and really, if you read it all consciously it is pretty easy to understand the balance of this and other battles. It is also important that you understand that many enemies in this fic don't depend on power alone, making the battles a mixture between classical Shounen rules and JoJo's. I hope this helps you understand. If I wasn't clear enough I'll be glad to discuss it with you, but being a Guest, that seems difficult.**

**Thank you all for your support, and see you next Chapter!**

**PD: Just in case any amazing manga-style drawer comes across this fic, please, if you have time, draw an Arrancar Ichigo x Espada Nel image, there's nothing like that on the internet and I'd love to see it (:**


	18. Goodbye To Everything

Next morning, Ichigo woke up with Nel still embracing him in her sleep.

He couldn't help but caress her hair as he patiently waited for her to wake up.

"It must've been really late that night, and by the looks of it, she had been trying her best to stay awake. Just how long were you waiting for me to wake up, Nel?" He thought and kissed her forehead.

Only then did he notice that it was entirely covered by her mask's skull.

"Huh? It is... Healed. I didn't notice in the heat of the moment, but was she like this before as well?" He gazed at her more, but still couldn't make out wether it had been like that since last night or it was a recent change. "Guess I'll just ask her when she wakes up..."

Not much time passed before her hazel eyes slowly opened, to see the face of her loved one as the first thing in the morning, making her smile.

"Good, morning, Ichi..." She kissed his neck.

"Heh, good morning... Nel" He gave her a proper kiss in response. "Hey, I didn't want to wake you up... But I noticed that your skull is as good as new"

"Oh, right! I forgot to tell you. Inoue-san took care of us while we were unconscious. She healed my skull and asked Rangiku-san to buy me clothes"

"Really? That means she's okay, thank God... I can't wait to see her to thank her properly" He was more grateful about his girlfriend's healing than of any time the human had saved him. "And... You met Rangiku?"

"Yeah. She picked that very... Special attire" She blushed as she remembered how Ichigo put it to good use last night.

"Did she...? Well, that explains much" He blushed as well. "How much time were you awake before me?"

"About half a day. I woke up in the afternoon. After that, I went to check up on the others. Only Pesche and Dondochakka were here, but the others are alright"

"That's great news. Is Urahara around?"

"Yoruichi-san told me he was summoned by the Gotei for a meeting regarding the Demon invasion. He took Arikado with him, so I learned he's fine as well"

"Really? I'm sure he knows more than any of us about Jigoku at least, so he should be of use. It's a pity that Urahara is not around though..."

"Well, that was yesterday, so he might be back by now" Nel pointed out.

"That's true..."

"You want to know if you can go back to being human?" She asked him.

"It all happened so fast... I couldn't really process what this all meant at first. I probably wanted to return to my old life back then, feeling how this change was never done out of my own volition..." He started saying.

"I see..." She replied sadly.

"But after last night... After becoming a Whole with you, Nel... I couldn't care less about going back" He smiled.

"You really mean it, Ichigo...?!" She asked surprised.

"Of course. I love you, Nel. I'm yours... Even after the day I die"

"Ichigo...!" She rushed over him and kissed him wildly. "I love you... I... Want you...!"

They looked at each other with lustful eyes, just like the night before.

"Would you like another go...?" He asked her, knowing the answer.

"Heh..." She chuckled, ready for him. "You know I won't say no"

Before she could take him once more, his stomach roared.

"S-Sorry...!" He was as red as a strawberry.

Her stomach growled in reply as well.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. Now that you're an Arrancar, if there's not much Reishi in the atmosphere, it's normal that you feel hungry. Let's get up and grab something for breakfast. We can try it again at other time" She caressed his face gently.

"Yeah, you're right..." He replied cool, though he was thinking: "Otherwise I would probably faint!" As he remembered her energy and savage nature during their union.

"Let's go!" She said getting up.

"There are hot springs in a section of the training area. Knowing Urahara, I doubt he has a normal bath or shower, but I can go with you so you don't have to look for it" He grabbed his ragged Shinigami pants and wore them.

"Thanks. Huh? What are...?" There was a pair of shopping bags right by the door's side.

"Did someone leave that during the night?" Ichigo asked her.

"It looks like it, though it was probably earlier in the morning. Now that I look at it, Rangiku-san was carrying many bags like these when she arrived..."

"Maybe she bought you another outfit. It wouldn't be strange coming from her..." He theorized.

She got its contents out to see for herself.

"Oh... She's so sweet!" She cheerfully said as she extended a green and white striped t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Well, now you have another attire to wear. I'm sure you'll look beautiful in it"

"Thank you" She put on her Yukata. "And look! She left a kimono for you in the other bag!"

"Really? That's great. I'll have to thank her later"

"Let's go. We'll have something to eat afterwards"

"Yeah"

The two went to the underground and entered the hot spring area.

"Last one has to get food for the other! Ahahaha!" She laughed as she jumped towards a pool.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Ichigo extended his arm as if trying to catch her, but she had already thrown her Yukata away and was trying the bath.

"Ah... It feels so good!" She said as she got in the hot water.

"And here I was, about to forget you were a brat" He told her, cheeky as he got in with her.

"What a bad loser, Itsygo" She called him like she used to do as a kid "Good luck with the punishment game"

"Seems like Yoruichi also influenced you in these kind of things"

"She was quite a mischievous master, I gotta say, though I would never get to her level of annoyance" She knew how bothering that woman could be if he proposed herself to be so.

"I know, and I thank you for that. Besides, I love your playful side as well, it reminds me of my sisters... Well, maybe Yuzu more than Karin at that"

"Oh... I bet, you would like to see your family" She thought of how hard it must have been for him at the moment.

"I'd really like to... But how am I going to explain... This?" He sighed troubled.

"Step by step. I'm sure they'll understand... After all, they are your family! Pesche and Dondochakka are not even blood related and yet I know I can trust them completely. Human bonds can only be stronger, I imagine"

"Well, that depends on the family. There are some in which that rule doesn't apply, at all. But, in my case... You're right. They are not the kind that would despise me for this, or anything really" He smiled. "Thanks, Nel. I feel better thinking that way"

"It's nothing, I just said my thoughts" She blushed lightly at his gratitude. "Oh, this is amazing! How don't we have one of these in Hueco Mundo?" She cuddled with him in the water.

"Is there even water there?" Ichigo asked, remembering how all he saw was an endless desert.

"Well there _has _to be somewhere! I remember some of the hieroglyphs in Ruinas Huecas show fountains and rivers"

"The dark labyrinth we entered the first time we came to Hueco Mundo is part of that, right? How old are those ruins?"

"I don't know. There's not a Hollow I know that has lived _that_ long"

"That's true..." He agreed.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He heard a familiar voice in his head.

"Huh? That voice is... You!" He recognized his Hollow.

"Is something wrong, Ichigo?" Nel noticed his attention was somewhere else.

"It's nothing. Just, you know... My inner Hollow and stuff"

"What, he still exists? Even after you became a Hollow yourself?" She was surprised.

"It seems like it. Though he's just my Zanpakutou's spirit right now, not a part of _me_ as it was before"

"Actually, what is your Hollow Zanpakuto's name?"

"Hmm... What was it?" Ichigo remembered his other half telling him, but didn't remember clearly, until the shape of the black scythes on Nel's Hollow hole reminded him. "No way...!"

"What is it?" She was more curious.

"Okay, don't freak out... But my blade's name is... _Las Noches_"

"_Las Noche__s? _Just like..."

"The palace of Las Noches" He finished the idea.

"But, Ichigo, that must mean something!"

"I know, but I don't know where to begin!"

That made her remember what her brothers had said the day before.

"There is someone in Hueco Mundo... That might be able to explain that and much more"

"Really? And who would that be?"

"My brothers encountered an Arrancar who claimed to be the guardian of the treasure in Ruinas Huecas"

"But that would mean...!"

"That he's either REALLY old, or simply... Immortal" She completed.

Only then did he remember what Ulquiorra told him. There was a deathless Arrancar.

"Damn... He's in the ruins now?"

"Yes, and apparently, he will only explain the power of such treasure to you"

"To me? But why would...?" His mind remembered Ulquiorra's words even more clearley:

_"Your Hollow, Kurosaki Ichigo, is the reincarnation of Gran Rey Cero. Your power, your aura... It can't mean other thing_..."

"Did you remember something?" Nel asked.

"Something Ulquiorra said... But, until I speak with this Arrancar, it's pointless talking about it"

"I understand" Nelliel felt that there was something bigger going on, but they didn't have enough information to confirm it. "Well, enough problems. Let's enjoy this a bit more..." She kissed him.

"Yeah... It's been long since we've had free time on our hands..." He embraced her. "So a little fooling around wouldn't hurt anybody" He kissed her again.

"~Ah... Ichi~" She moaned and licked his neck.

"You're crazy..." He thought, and grabbed one of her breasts to return the favour, making her moan louder.

A couple minutes later, they got dressed in their new clothes. Like Ichigo said, Nel looked very good with that simple, yet pretty outfit.

"See? It suits you really well" He told her.

"Really? Thank you. I really liked this t-shirt cause it has green in it"

"I imagine that's your favorite color"

"Yeah, what would be yours?"

"I don't really care now, though I really liked orange as a kid..."

"I wonder why that would be..." She ironically said as she played with his hair.

"Heh, maybe in my subconscious I chose it because of that" He raised his shoulders. "But now... I don't really care. I do like black and white clothes in general though"

They went upstairs and Ichigo looked for eggs and rice in the kitchen.

"Even if I had _won_ her little game, I would've still cooked. After all, I doubt she knows anything other than instant ramen..." He thought as he started making breakfast.

After he finished, he served her an omelette decorated with tonkatsu sauce and with rice as side, in a bowl-like plate.

"~Mm...~ It smells delicious!"

"Th-Thanks..." He blushed at the compliment as he sat down on his knees, in front of her.

"Itadakimasu!" The two said while splitting a pair of chopsticks and started devouring their food.

Just when they finished, Nel realized.

"Oh no! Everyone's gonna kill me!"

"What? Why?" He asked oblivious.

"What do you mean why?! Everyone was dying to see you when you woke up! I'm gonna find Yoruichi-san and tell her to..."

"There won't be a need for that" A young man's voice was heard.

"I-Ishida?" Ichigo recognized it.

"Who else would it be?" He said entering the room. "I thought this could happen anyway, so we came just in case. The worst thing that could happen is that you were still asleep" He explained.

"How are you... Ichigo?" Chad asked his friend.

"I'm fine Chad, you don't have to worry. I'm still getting used to being... Different. But, it's not bad at all" He smiled at his friend.

"That's good to hear, Kurosaki-san" A more mature voice greeted.

"Urahara!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Urahara-san!" Nel said in unison with her loved one.

"I heard you were in Soul Society" Ishida spoke.

"That's correct. It seems they were interested in knowing what the Hell was going on... Heheh, I can't help but laugh at how literal that is" The shop owner replied. "More importantly... I want to know what you will be doing from now on, Ichigo. Cause, it's true that the Hogyoku saved the Vizards in the past, but that was a completely different case..."

"I know..."

"I'm afraid that you are likely to stay an Arrancar for the rest of your life. I don't know how that makes you feel... But one thing is clear. It's impossible to continue living as you have until now"

"Don't tell me you...!"

"No. I did not say a word about your transformation in the meeting. All I said was that you couldn't come due to exhaustion. I did explain all the rest though. Believe or not, the Captain Commander _is_ willing to make a truce with Hueco Mundo during this conflict..."

"That sounds good" Nel commented.

"Central 46 is another story though... Some of those imbeciles even proposed to punish all Shinigami that allied with the Arrancar to fight the Oni and that we should've left Hueco Mundo to rot"

Nel's look seemed shadowed as she heard those words.

"Those fucking bastards...!" Ichigo was filled with rage.

"Fortunately, most of them considered this to be an extreme measure, so it was denied. They are still debating about forming a formal pact with the Hollows, even with all that's happened so far, but in the meantime, we can still act freely"

"What would be the next step?" Ishida asked.

"That depends on how the enemy responds to this defeat, although we don't even know if that's what they really think of our confrontation"

"Are you saying that they could've planned this all along?" Ichigo asked.

"It is a possibility we cannot discard. In the best of scenarios, that's not the case, but they are far too unpredictable as an enemy"

"That's true..." Chad frowned.

"In any case, I think our top priority right now is that you investigate what the Heart of Tsukoyomi is, Ichigo"

"Tsukoyomi..." Ichigo repeated, hearing Ulquiorra's voice in his head.

"That's the treasure of Ruinas Huecas" Nel remembered the name.

"Yes, Pesche and Dondochakka told me about it" Urahara answered. "Of course, I didn't mention that either in the meeting"

"I bet they would love to put their hands on it" Ichigo said thinking about Central 46.

"That's why I want you to investigate first, and also... Cause its guardian won't tell anyone but you" Urahara sighed. "I honestly don't know why... But it seems you're far more important in Hueco Mundo than any of us could imagine, including yourself"

"Yeah... I want to know more about that as well" He admitted.

"Then it's clear what you should be doing next. But before you leave, some people came to see you"

"Huh?"

"Yo" A blonde man greeted with his distinctive grin.

"Wow... So this is...!" Rose muttered as he looked at the orange-haired Arrancar.

"Look, Kensei!!!" Mashiro tried to call her Captain's attention.

"I can see it myself, no need for you to yell in my ear!" He reprimended her, knowing well that she would keep being the same way anyways.

"It's you guys!" Ichigo recognized them immediately.

"Baldy would've gotten pretty upset if we didn't tell him after all" Hiyori chuckled.

"And it's not for the less. One miscalculation and we could become fully Hollowfied as well... Not saying that's a bad thing but...!" Love explained.

"I understand. You might not be as lucky as me" Ichigo replied, thankful that he got his consciousness back.

"Hey, Ichigo. If you don't mind, could you please explain how everything happened?" Lisa requested.

"Yeah, sure. Although, I doubt I remember everything so clear... But I can give it a try"

"I think I can fill the missing blanks" Nel cheerfully added. "Only if you don't feel uncomfortable with me saying it..."

"Don't worry about it. They deserve to know. All my friends do, in fact"

Ichigo described his battle with Ulquiorra up to the point where he was pierced by the Espada's _Cero Oscuras_. From there, Nel took over and told the rest.

"Sheesh... You sure have been through a lot..." Shinji sighed after hearing the conclusion.

"I still can't keep up with everything as of now, but I guess I just move on without giving it too much thought" Ichigo admitted.

"As long as it works for you, don't sweat it" Kensei replied.

"Thanks" He felt supported by them.

"So... What will you be doing now?" Shinji asked him.

"I think the best is to go back to Hueco Mundo to solve a couple things. Though I would like to see my family before leaving..." He spoke in a more somber way.

"Kurosaki...! You are not implying that..." Ishida knew what was on his mind.

"*sigh* Yes... I probably won't be coming back here or to Soul Society either"

Almost all the others looked astonished, except for Urahara, Shinji and Nel.

"But Ichigo...!" Chad tried

"Chad, it's something I've just been thinking about, it's not absolute. However... The truth is that I don't belong here anymore, and you all know it..." He bitterly replied.

"And where in Hell do you belong then?" Hiyori asked back, pissed.

"I... I don't know where exactly. But... That place is definitely not here. This World, belongs to humanity. Soul Society, belongs to the Shinigami... I gotta find somewhere I belong" As he said that he realized the answer was right in front of him. "And wherever that place is, I don't care, as long as I'm with Nel. If I belong anywhere, it's with her" He smiled and held her hand.

"Ichigo...!" She wanted to jump on top of him and asfixiate him with her love, but she kept herself calm as there were more people.

"Hmph!" Hiyori crossed her arms. "As long as you have an idea... That's fine by me" She concluded.

"WHAT?!" Everyone else was shocked by her reply after being so angry.

"What do you mean with that? It's obvious he would only face trouble here. I got angry cause he was saying such thing when he has family and friends that support him. To be honest, I was about to beat the shit outta him, but then he got all corny about his girlfriend so whatever..."

"Hey!" Ichigo spat back, although he was blushing as he knew it was true.

"Anyway..." Shinji sighed. "It's good to see that despite everything you're doing fine. We were worried cause, maybe you don't feel that way but... We've always thought of you as one of us" He grinned a bit as he admitted that.

"Well, it's not like that... It's true I don't feel like I'm a Vizard, although _that_ is truly impossible now, but even before, I never thought that way cause I'm... Just me. You guys are my friends, and that's always been enough for me"

All Vizards felt instantly moved by his words.

"I would expect no different from you" Kensei approved.

"Aww..." Mashiro tried to hug Kensei but was dodged.

"I'm... Glad you think that way" Hachigen played with his fingers nervously.

"What an inspiring thing to say..." Rose complimented.

"We're happy to be your friends too!" Love said with a smile while striking a cool pose.

Lisa did not say anything although she looked away with an embarrassed smile and Hiyori crossed her arms while deviating her look just as her friend.

"It seems everyone feels content with that. But, you'll always be an honorary Vizard regardless of what you think" Shinji concluded.

"I thought you'd say something like that" Ichigo replied.

"Well, if Ichigo is alright and the same as always... That about does it! Though we _could_ go hang out for a little while..." Shinji grinned. "It's been a while since I bought a Jazz record... Maybe there's a _Giant Steps_ vinyl laying around somewhere"

"I could go check some guitars..." Rose said agreeing. "Who knows what models they have on display today...?"

"Yeah! Mashiro can go try all kinds of sweets!!!" The green haired girl said all fired up.

"*sigh* Kisuke, would you happen to have a Gigai for us?" Kensei asked.

"Conveniently, yes. Go take a stroll, don't worry" The shop owner replied. "Now, Ichigo..."

"Yes?"

"I think it's time you go see your family" Urahara recommended.

"You... You're right" He agreed. "I imagine you at least gave dad an introduction of what he's about see..."

"I explained the basics, yes" Urahara replied.

"Then, I'll go see them real quick before leaving again"

"Take your time. Oh, and... Arikado-san, the Fallen Angel you saved is currently being studied by Kurotsuchi-san. Don't worry, I made sure to show them that he's our ally, so they shouldn't be doing anything that endangers him, although he's more than able to defend himself in case they try anything weird anyway"

"As long as he's alright, it's okay" Ichigo noticed how his human friends were turning their backs to go with him. "Chad, Ishida... There's no need for you to come. Just call Renji, Rukia and... Inoue. I want to see them one last time before my leave"

"I understand" Uryuu agreed, and Chad stayed silent.

"If you want, I can stay here and wait for you to..." Nel started.

"No, I _want_ you to come with me. I want them to know the person I'll be spending my life with"

"Ichigo..." She blushed. "Okay, I-I'll go then"

"See you later and... Thanks for coming, Shinji" He put his hand on the Captain's shoulder as he walked past him.

"It's nothing. Anything you need, just let me know" He said, tilting his head.

Ichigo replied with a nod and a smile and left with Nel.

The two walked through the streets to get to the house.

"It's strange imagining my dad's face when he sees me"

"I don't know how will your sisters react when they know I'm taking you away from them either..." Nel shrugged.

"It's not like that"

"Maybe not, but it might be how they take it"

"Well, I never even had a girlfriend, so I don't know how they would react in this situation..." He chuckled nervously. "They have never been the jealous kind though"

"I hope they react well..."

"They will, Nel. You are a wonderful person. I'm sure they will see that" He grabbed her by the shoulder and walked with her in his embrace.

"Thank you" She smiled and kissed him as they walked.

When he finally arrived at his door, he let a loud sigh.

"Do you feel alright? Maybe it's too soon..." Nel told him.

"No, I'm... I'm well enough. If I don't say goodbye now, maybe I will never get another chance"

"Don't worry. Everything will be alright" She hugged him.

"Thanks... Let's do this"

He slowly opened the door and entered the house where he had spent his whole life.

"Ichigo... Is that you?" It was Isshin's voice. He was expecting him.

~~~~X~~~~

Ulquiorra looked at a plate of a poisonous purple soup.

"Inoue... I remind you that Arrancar don't really need to eat" He said in an intent to escape the girl's meal.

"Don't give me that excuse! I heard your stomach growl before, so you must eat" Orihime pouted as she prepared a spoon full of soup for him.

"Ungh..." He received the spoon with a shaking hand and carefully put the liquid on his mouth.

"So...? How is it?" She asked expectating.

"Sour... Bitter... Spicy..." He suddenly felt faint and collapsed backwards with x eyes.

"No! Cifer-kun!"

She left him on a futton to rest.

"Sorry, I thought the mix would be more nutritious if I put a lot of stuff in it, but it seems it was too much..."

"Don't worry. Once I return to Hueco Mundo I will nurture myself with the Reishi in the atmosphere. I appreciate that you tried to feed me though" He smiled a bit and sat with a pillow on his back.

"I bet you smile a lot more than you ever imagined you would"

"To be honest, I never thought I would smile in my entire life. During my whole life, there was no need for any emotions. I thought that having such a thing was a terrible weakness so I never even tried. I didn't feel anything, and I was content with that. I didn't care about anything... But that was until I met you. I believe it was that encounter that made me feel curious about the heart I had discarded from the moment I was born"

"I think it's fascinating how Hollows have hearts without even realizing they do. It's true, in such a hostile environment, most of you become really cold and heartless, but that doesn't mean you cannot feel again" She played with his black hair.

"What are you doing?" He asked stranged.

"Oh, sorry!" She blushed. "I just thought it looked so soft and touched it without thinking"

"You seem to be more distracted than usual" He observed.

"Really? Maybe it's just your imagination" She dismissed it, although it was clear he was right.

"You know, if I had seen that same behaviour a couple days earlier, I probably would't have noticed such thing. Maybe, I wouldn't even care. However... Thanks to you, I can easily tell you are lying"

"Eh?" She was surprised.

"Is this because of Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"That is..." She looked away.

"Correct. I imagine you are worried about him. After all, you love him" He casually said.

"I-It's not that...! Although... I can't deny I'm not worried"

"He should be awake by now. You could go see him. It would put your heart at ease"

"I... I don't want to see him unless he wishes to see me as well. Kurosaki-kun has had it rough"

"*sigh* It's all my fault" Ulquiorra looked sadly at the floor.

"Don't say that... I know you had the best intentions" She held his hands.

"Please, don't try to make me feel better. I deserve this misery..." He let go of her touch. "I betrayed my kind, I put your friends in danger and I ruined my King's life for eternity... I still don't understand how can you not despise me"

"Because you never did those things with an evil purpose. Now, you even care about Kurosaki-kun, because you see him as your savior"

"And that's why I feel this way. I'm supposed to protect him, not to hurt him. As a result, he hates me. I'm a failure..."

"Cifer-kun, it's natural that he's angry at you now. You can't blame him for that"

"I know..."

"But, it won't be like that forever. You just have to give him some time... Just like the others" She remembered everyone's reaction back in Hueco Mundo.

"If it wasn't by your presence they would have annihilated me, I'm sure" He remembered as well. "Though I did expect my past acquaintances to try that much after what I did before. It's truly a miracle that I'm still alive"

A phone buzzed.

"What was that?" He asked.

"It must be a message" She grabbed her cell and read the sender. It was Ishida:

_"He's awake. Please come by evening"_

"What happened?"

"It seems Kurosaki-kun wants to see me after all"

"So you will go?"

"Yes. _We_ will go" She corrected him.

"I don't think anybody there wants to see me. Especially Ichigo"

"Then I'll talk to him about it. I'm sure I'll make him understand"

"I think it's a bad idea, but whatever. If you believe it's gonna work somehow, I'll take the risk"

"I'm happy to hear that you finally trust me" She smiled at him.

"Because now I understand, that without trust, I'd be alone. And to say the truth... I'm tired of being alone, I'm tired of having no one to rely on..."

"Then it's very simple. First, try to apologize to everyone properly. After that, little by little, try to open your heart to them... Not literally of course!" She made clear.

"Hm" He chuckled. "Don't worry, I understand those metaphors now. In fact. you don't know how happy it makes me to be able to interact this way..."

"I'm glad I could help you. Remembering the old Ulquiorra that was under Aizen's command and comparing him to the dear friend I have by my side... Is a priceless experience!"

"Then... You mean we are... Friends again...?" He asked shyly.

"Cifer-kun... You never stopped being my friend. That's because friendship is a bond that's not easy to break. We just had a disagreement, that's all"

"Really?" He couldn't believe how easily she forgave him. "You are the most wonderful person I've ever met"

"Cifer-kun..." She blushed at that compliment. "That was a very nice thing to say, although, you haven't really _met_ many people have you?"

"No. But even so, I'm sure of what I just said. I could even die happily knowing I'm your friend" He smiled, fully.

"Please don't die. You just found a purpose...!"

"It was just a manner of speaking" He chuckled.

The two laughed at that fact together. Orihime still couldn't believe how much he had changed, but she was glad he had.

"Hey, Cifer-kun... You are going back to Hueco Mundo to follow Kurosaki-kun, right?"

"Yes. I believe that's the right path"

"Would you mind if I... Went with you?"

"Why would you do such thing? Even with the return of the Arrancar and most of the other Hollows, it is still a very dangerous place for a human"

"I know... But I..."

"You want to follow Kurosaki-"

"No... I want..." She denied. "...I don't want to leave _you_, Cifer-kun" She told the truth and embraced him from the back.

"Huh?" He was surprised by her answer and reaction, feeling her warm embrace.

Suddenly, she started crying.

Once again, Ulquiorra was oblivious about what was going on. He saw her so happy a couple seconds before, and now she was filled with sorrow.

"Inoue... What's wrong?" He asked worried.

"I don't know why... But thinking about you leaving made me so sad..."

"But why? I'm sure you have so many friends that must be better than me..." He said disappointed in himself.

"That's not true. You are very important to me... So please, let me go with you"

"*sigh* Very well then, but I don't think your friends will be pleased by that"

"I don't care. As long as you are not against it, I couldn't care less"

Ulquiorra hugged her as well, although it was still awkward to him. Even so, he was more than happy to realize how much Orihime needed him. He was never _needed_ by anyone, and feeling that way was certainly a secret joy he had just discovered.

"I understand. I'll make sure to protect you while we are there in that case, although it's clear everyone will be doing the same" He let go of the embrace.

"Thanks, Cifer-kun. You don't know how happy that makes me" She washed away her tears.

"It's the least I can do after everything you've given me. You are my only friend, Inoue"

"Don't worry, I'll help you make new friends as well. I don't think you'll be against it after experiencing Kurosaki-kun's power firsthand"

"I have no doubt about it. The heart... Is what makes Kurosaki Ichigo the most powerful rival I have ever faced. It is what gave him the strngth to become an Arrancar on his own terms. My plan would've never worked with someone else. Only his heart is _that_ powerful, and that's why I want to keep filling my own"

~~~~X~~~~

"Hi, Dad..." He said shyly.

Isshin approached his son calmly, in contrast to his typical violent greeting when he arrived.

Ichigo didn't know what to expect, but Isshin's reaction was clearly the only one possible.

Ichigo felt his father's strong arms wrap around him protectively.

He didn't know why, but he felt comforted with that single action.

"Dad... I'm sorry"

"What are you apologizing for? I know this is something you didn't choose. I understand that things will not be like they used to be, but even so, I will always be your father and I will always be there for you" He put his hands on Ichigo's shoulders and looked him directly in the eyes.

"Where are... Karin and Yuzu?"

"They are upstairs. I'll tell them to come"

"They won't be scared, right?" He was worried.

"Ichigo... They are your sisters. Karin, Yuzu!"

The two girls came down, ready to see their brother. Isshin had explained more or less the situation, but it was better that they saw for themselves.

"Ichigo...!" Karin gasped. She recognized him immediately.

"Ichi-nii!" Yuzu started crying and ran to her brother's arms. "I don't care if you are not human anymore. You will always be my big brother"

"Thank you, Yuzu. You two will always be my little sisters as well, so don't think for one second that I want to abandon you" Ichigo pressed her head against his chest.

Nel simply looked at the scene with watery eyes, trying to contain her tears to not make Ichigo worry, although he was already used to the fact that she was a crybaby, even as an adult.

"But... Why do you have to go?" Yuzu asked sad. "Dad told us, you would have to leave us"

"You can now see us clearly can't you?" He asked her.

"Yes. You and... Her as well" She nodded and looked at Nel. "What's wrong with that?"

Ichigo slid his hand under the kimono to let her see his chest.

"Yo see..." He showed her his Hollow hole. "She and I are Arrancar. We are considered enemies of Soul Society. For that reason, it is only a matter of time before they come here to hunt us down. That's why... I'm going to Hueco Mundo, where Hollows live, to find answers and... To find a place where we can live in"

"You" Karin spoke to Nel. "You are Nelliel-san, right?" She asked her.

"Yes"

"So you are Ichi-nii's girlfriend" She wanted to make sure.

"I think that's what they call it here" She agreed, blushing a bit.

"Then..." She pressed her fists. "Please take good care of Ichi-nii!" She bowed to her.

Nel looked at her surprised at first, but then smiled and chuckled.

"Yes!" Then she bowed as well. "I should apologize for taking your brother without notice"

"Don't say that, Nel-san" Isshin said. "We are all very happy to know that you will be with him during this transition. If he was alone... Things would be a lot rougher for poor Ichigo, but with you by his side, I'm sure he'll be more than capable of moving on. We thank you in advance for that"

"There's no need to thank me, Kurosaki-san. Without Ichigo, I would have never found true happiness. I'm also very happy to see that you accept me as his woman" She blushed brighter as she finished that sentence.

Yuzu let go of Ichigo to hug Nel.

"Please, I know Ichi-nii can be difficult at times, but don't leave him. Please, promise me, Neru-nee!" Yuzu showed the Arrancar girl her pinky.

Nel chuckled, remembering the time she made a vow with Ichigo the same way.

"Of course, Yuzu-chan" She made the promise, deciding not to ever break it. "I would never leave him. Actually, I think it's important that you know, that as Hollows we already share an unbreakable bond..."

"Hm? What does that mean?" Isshin asked curious.

"Nel and I... Are something known as Wholes. We are Hollows who found their other half, and well... We now share these markings" He showed the fuchsia lance on his Hollow hole.

"We don't know much about it, but there is one thing we know for sure. This is the proof of our love" Nel giggled as she hugged Ichigo tightly.

Ichigo hugged her back and smiled in a way they had never seen.

"I can already see, how happy you'll make him" Isshin concluded. "There's nothing else I care about. If things weren't so complicated, I'd be more than happy to organize a wedding"

"Wedding?" Nel repeated oblivious.

"It is a ceremony held for couples to simbolize their union" Ichigo explained. "It is a nice thing to celebrate, but we are certainly not in the best moment" He smiled sadly.

"That's true... But maybe we could do it in Hueco Mundo once this is all over!" Nel seemed anxious only to imagine what that event would be like.

"We'll see about that..." Ichigo digressed. "Anyway, I think we should be going. We still don't know what the Oni are planning next, so I must be quick to find out what was that they were looking for, along with more information about well... Everything being a Hollow means"

"Then we won't spend more of your time. Ichigo, Nelliel... I wish you two the best of luck, and if you need anything from me, don't mind to ask me"

"Thanks, Dad. Oh... One last thing" He remembered something important. "Is Kon around?"

"He should be upstairs" Karin replied. "Oh right! What will happen with your human body?"

"That's what I wanted to discuss with him" Ichigo went up the stairs.

Inside his room, nothing was out of place. Kon, in his body of course, was quietly reading a Manga when he entered.

"Ichigo! You... WHAT THE HELL?!" Kon wasn't informed about the recent changes.

"Exactly, so I'll be quick. Kon... I can't stay in this world anymore, so I'll leave it in your hands. Do you want to continue your life as a Mod Soul inside a plush or... Would you rather live as Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"Ichigo...! That... That is something I. simply can't answer out of the blue!" Kon protested.

"But you're gonna have to! If not, my family's gonna have to fake my own death or somethin', so now's your only chance"

"Eh... I... I..." His human heart accelerated. "I want to keep doing this! I-I'll go to school! And I promise to control myself more around girls! I won't give your family any trouble so... Please, let me have a normal life!" Kon bowed in the bed.

"As long as you keep that promise... Do your best. And please... Tell Tatsuki..."

"There's no way in Hell I'm letting you disappear without even saying goodbye to my face, Ichigo!" The mentioned girl shouted from the doorstep.

"You gotta be kidding me..." Ichigo was astonished, but he smiled as he was happy to see his childhood friend.

"Hello, Kurosaki-san! Girls and...?" He noticed Nel.

"And who, Asano-san? It's just Kurosaki-san and Ichigo's sisters" Mizuiro said, looking at his phone.

"So you are...!" Keigo covered his mouth in amazement.

"Yes, I am a Hollow! But more importantly... I'm Ichigo's girlfriend" She replied happily.

Keigo jaw-dropped at the beauty of Nelliel, but came back to reality instantly as Tatsuki grabbed him by the ear as she entered the house.

"Argh! Let me go, Tatsuki! Please!"

"Ichigo!" She yelled again.

"*sigh* Guess there's no other choice" The Arrancar said as he went downstairs.

Tatsuki was about to yell once again, but stopped as she saw her friend's state.

"Ichigo..." She said again, more worried than anything.

"Huh? Where is he?" Mizuiro couldn't see him.

"It can't be...!" Keigo was shocked.

"Hi. I'm sorry for not telling you... I bet Ishida or Inoue told you to come, Tatsuki, but this is the reason I didn't want to see you"

Tatsuki started panting slowly until she violently charged towards him.

Ichigo was expecting a punch or a kick, but was surprised to feel Tatsuki's embrace.

"Idiot... We would never be afraid of you and you know it. We're your friends"

That made Mizuiro understand.

"Ichigo is... Right there isn't he? Something happened to him, and now he cannot go back to his human body" The boy deduced.

"That's... Correct" Isshin replied, sad that one of his friends wouldn't be able to properly say goodbye.

"Aw... That's a pity" He looked at the floor in disappointment.

"Dammit. I'm sorry Mizuiro" Ichigo put his hand on his friend's shoulder, although he knew he would not hear or feel him.

Or so he thought.

"Don't worry, Ichigo. I can somehow tell you are right here, trying to make me feel better in some way. I just came to say goodbye anyway" He smiled as he looked at his phone, the screen was overflown with static.

"So... This time you're leaving for good?" Tatsuki frowned.

"It seems like it. I'm sorry, but it's quite complicated to explain"

"Don't bother. I know that there are many things we don't know about... It's just... That I can't believe it"

"Yeah... It must be even harder for you to accept. But, that's how things are right now" Ichigo sighed.

"That means... We won't ever see you again?" Keigo asked sad.

"Not necessarily... But it is a possibility" He admitted, to which Keigo made a sad face.

"If we can... We'll come to visit in the future!" Nel tried to comfort them.

"It's the least you could do..." Tatsuki crossed her arms. "Wait a minute, who the Hell are you?!" She was so fixated on Ichigo when they arrived that she completely ignored her.

"I'm Nelliel, Ichigo's girlfriend" She was starting to like saying that. "I'm so glad to finally meet you Tatsuki-san!"

"She knows me?!" Tatsuki asked amused.

"I told her a bit about my life so I must've mentioned you guys quite often" Ichigo scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Hmph, so you become a Hollow and get a girlfriend in no time" She pouted.

"Actually, I've been with Nel for almost two years, but since we were in the Dangai, you had no way of knowing"

"Well, if she's your girl I assume she must be pretty strong, though I gotta say she looks like a bimbo"

"Hey, that's not very nice, Tatsuki" Keigo pointed out.

"Hey, Ichi, what is a _bimbo_?" She asked oblivious, giving Tatsuki the impression that she was right in her judgement.

"Nel doesn't know because she's from Hueco Mundo, but she's not stupid. She's very smart in fact" Ichigo replied, a bit bothered, but kept his cool.

"Well, in that case I apologize" Tatsuki bit her lip.

She didn't want to fight. She just felt a bit jealous that Nel would have Ichigo to herself while they would probably lose their friend.

"So to summarize, you'll live in this Hueco Mundo place now?" Keigo asked.

"It seems like it. That's where Hollows and Arrancar live, and I'm one of them now"

"I heard from Ishida-kun that you were fighting Demons or something of sorts. You're still in that?" Tatsuki asked.

"I'm afraid yes. We won the first assault, but they are far from defeated. Now that I'll be in Hueco Mundo, I'll use this chance to get backup from its inhabitants, though I still don't know how I'll do that. At the very least, the current Queen is kind of our friend, so I'm sure something can be done" Ichigo explained.

"I understand. Then, you gotta come see us when that's over. Otherwise I... I'll become a Shinigami and go to Hueco Mundo just to kick your ass!" She threatened.

"Hahaha, I'd love to see that" Ichigo laughed.

"And of course, don't you dare die!" She added.

"That goes without saying" He replied.

"You've been warned. We're done here. Let's go, Keigo, Mizuiro!" She ordered.

"But, I haven't said goodbye-"

"Then do so, idiot!" She punched him in the head.

Tatsuki wanted to leave as soon as possible, or her true feelings would show. She wanted no tears to fall, not in front of Ichigo at least.

"Ichigo... I know I'm stupid and clumsy and... Well, that doesn't matter! What I want to say is... That I'm glad I could be your friend, and I can't wait to see you again"

"Sure. I'm looking forward to the time we all meet once again" Ichigo gave him a strong hug.

"Ahahahaha!" Keigo cried.

After that, the three friends left together, with the hope that they would see Ichigo in a not so distant future.

~~~~X~~~~

**And so, Ichigo gets ready to leave the Human World behind. Will this be permanent? Hell if I know.**

**Anyway, I'm glad to see even more people reading this! (69 follows xD). If this keeps up, maybe I'll get to 100 follows by the end of the year, which would be awesome!**

**I also wanted to flex a little by informing you all that I finally got my Alpha Omega figure of Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck from eBay and it was authentic so, damn, it's just beautiful! It's also important cause with that, my collection of green hair waifu figures is complete (C.C., Mion and Nel). With that said lol...**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Holy wow! Fantastic! This was incredible! I also loved how well-written and perfectly timed the Lime was. And now wouldja lookie here? Instead of being Hollows/Arrancars, they're now fully Whole! So amazing! Dang man. This was good! I hope to see more soon! Please, update again soon!_**

**_P.S. I also liked how Nel and Orihime both found closure with one another as well._**

**Reply: See? At least that's what I had in mind for a lime. I'd like to explain that the Whole state is an addition to being Hollow/Arrancar, it's not a new species or something. It will probably be explained in detail next Chapter anyway... I'll do my best with the update, cause I've been trying to get my marks up, as I'm having trouble with a particular class right now.**

**Until next Chapter! Evhron out.**


	19. Repentance

Ichigo and Nel waved goodbye at three friends as they walked away.

"I don't think there could've been a better outcome" Nel said.

"Yeah... I didn't think I'd get that chance, and even then, I thought it would be more awkward than anything. But, I'm glad I could bid them farewell" Ichigo replied with a smile.

"Then... Ichi-nii..." Yuzu muttered sadly. "It's time for you to go now, right?"

"Yuzu..." Ichigo hugged her. "We'll see each other sooner than you expect, okay?"

"But... I don't know what to do. Suddenly, it's like my whole world has changed. I see ghosts and monsters all over the place... And to make it worse, you are leaving me"

"For now, you gotta be strong. Things won't be any easier for you now that you awakened your Quincy powers, but it's a part of you as well. You must learn to live with change, cause it's something we are never ready to face, but that we must overcome when it presents itself" Ichigo replied sensibly.

"Okay... I'll do my best. I love you, Ichi-nii" She cried.

"I love you too, Yuzu" He replied, giving a glance towards his other sister, who despite crossing her arms and looking away, he knew she was about to cry as well. "Hey, Karin. I have two small sisters, don't I?"

Karin understood the meaning of that phrase and ran towards Ichigo, hugging him and crying just like her sister.

"I can't take this anymore!" Isshin said as he started crying as well and embraced his whole family, Nel included.

Ichigo did not cry, although he almost let a tear out as he saw his whole family in tears. On the other hand, Nelliel couldn't withstand it and was exploding in tears as well.

"I'll miss you all" Ichigo thought as he left his family, his house and his old life behind.

Once they went back to Urahara's shop, they were greeted by Jinta and Ururu.

"Long time no see" Ichigo told them.

"It's funny to hear you say that after we took care of you two while you were unconscious" Jinta spat back.

"Don't sound so high and mighty. Orihime-chan basically did all the work" Ururu corrected.

"Hmph" Jinta crossed his arms impolitely, only to be hit in the head a second later. "Gha! What the...?!"

"Tessai!" Ichigo hadn't seen him in a while as well.

"Good to see you, Ichigo. I already saw you when you arrived so, I'm not shocked to see that appearance. More importantly... It looks like Kisuke's invention really works" The Kidou Master said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ichigo looked at him, wondering what he meant.

"Did you really thing you could've stayed unnoticed with your current Reiatsu?" Tessai asked him. "Look at your foot"

"What?" He looked at his right foot, to realize that there was a black band around it.

"It looks like my armband" Nel commented.

"What does this thing do? Hide my Reiatsu?" Ichigo asked.

"It would be impossible to hide a pressure of such magnitude. That thing strictly limits your power"

"You mean that I..."

"Yes. All this time, your Reiryoku remains untouched, but the Reiatsu you release is at your past level at most. Strong, but not a reading that would alarm the Seireitei. Although... You're probably off the charts, in which case you won't even appear on their radar"

"Is that... True?" He couldn't believe it.

"Yes. Kisuke worked really hard to create that device. I helped him all night"

"Damn, he didn't mention anything though" Ichigo frowned.

"Well, you know how he is at times. Probably he didn't want to alarm you when you had just woken up with such a statement. But now, I think it's important that you take your power seriously"

"I understand" He nodded. "Thanks, Tessai"

"Come in, your friends came over to see you" He invited the two into the shop while Jinta and Ururu ran outside the house.

He guided them to the training grounds, where he instantly recognized the friends he hadn't seen.

"Ichigo..." Rukia and Renji mumbled.

"Rukia, Renji. It's good to see you're well. I heard Central 46 had put you two through quite some trouble"

They felt uptight at first, but hearing him speak like always, made them feel more comfortable. After all, his appearance changed, but they knew the friend they loved was the same as always.

"Yeah, some of those geezers wanted to take us to the Maggot's Nest as a preventive measure. Hopefully, most of them thought that was disproportionate, and a couple others even defended us, saying that we protected Soul Society by stopping the Oni's advancement" Renji replied.

"I was surprised to see how understanding many of them were" Rukia commented. "In the end, there has been no punishment, and since my brother was very pleased by my general improvement, I couldn't be happier!" She smiled radiant.

"Glad to hear that" He replied, walking towards the person he wanted to see ever since they entered Hueco Mundo to fight the Demons. "Inoue!"

"Kurosaki-kun!" She yelled, running towards him.

Orihime hugged Ichigo strongly, rushing him. Just like Nel said, while holding him, she knew that it was none other than Ichigo. Even as a human, his Hollow would always be a part of him, so it didn't matter wether he was an Arrancar or a human. He was her friend, and that would never change.

"I couldn't be happier to see you alive" He said, holding her as well. "It makes all of this worth it..."

"I knew you would come to my aid, although that makes me feel as a bother" Orihime smiled sadly as she let go of the embrace, only putting her hands on his shoulders.

"Don't say that. You are our friend, Inoue. We would never let anything bad happen to you"

"I know, and it makes me so happy as well. At first, I thought I was in grave danger. However..." She took a bit of distance. "...I'm sure Cifer-kun never intended to do any harm" She wanted to make clear.

Ichigo's expression turned darker.

"You mean, Ulquiorra? Are you really going to defend him, after everything he did?" He couldn't believe it.

"He never intended for anything bad to happen. Although I know he was wrong to act that way in the first place..."

"Inoue, he put us all in danger. Someone could've died"

"But in the end, we're alright. Please, I know how you must feel... But believe me when I tell you that he's full of regret"

"Well it suits him well. It's the minimum I would expect, although I never imagined he would have any feelings to begin with" He spouted.

"That's mean, Kurosaki-kun. Cifer-kun is... More sensitive than you can even imagine" She murmured.

"Inoue... Sorry but, what the heck is wrong with you?! He took you prisoner, for the second time! He sent an army of Demons to eliminate us all and yet you tell me he's sensitive? I really can't begin comprehend how in the world...?" He was out of words and at his limit.

"I'm sorry that you feel that way... But I've decided, to be his friend. Cifer-kun is just lost. He doesn't know what friendship is. He doesn't know what love is! You can't expect me to ignore him"

"*sigh* I don't know if you're being too kind or too foolish... But I certainly cannot forgive him after all he's done"

"I know he can be better. I know he can change. Kurosaki-kun... Right now, you're his brightest hope. He needs you"

"Huh?" He suddenly remembered how Ulquiorra acted towards him once he had turned into an Arrancar.

Indeed, he didn't seem to understand the wrong in his actions. He just tried to solve a problem by connecting dots, without taking into account any feelings or dangers involved, like a machine calculating a result.

"For Cifer-kun... You are the moon that shines above Las Noches. That's what he told me. I don't understand everything, and neither does him... But it seems you are really important for the Hollows. They need you, Kurosaki-kun" She looked at Ulquiorra, who was hiding in the shadow of a large rock, trying not to be spotted by Ichigo as it shamed him.

Ichigo directed his look towards said spot, realizing that the Espada was there as well.

"Ulquiorra... Show yourself" He ordered, knowing that the Hollow would not deny his wishes.

The Espada flashed through the surface withSonido,appearing in front of them, speechless.

"I'll allow you to speak in order to reply this question. Is what Inoue told me true? You... Are you really sorry about your actions to this point?"

"I am indeed. I'm especially regretful of the fact that you hate me. I never intended to do anything to make you feel miserable or to inflict pain. I just, looked for a solution to all this mess, and since I am too weak myself, I sought for an answer in your inner power"

"I see. I trust your word and, even unsderstand why you acted the way you have so far. To tell the truth... Although I was turned into an Arrancar against my will, as long as my friends and family are not scared of what I've become, I don't really care. In fact, I can only imagine the power I have attained thanks to your scheme" Ichigo said, looking at his new Zanpakutou. "The real problem is, Ulquiorra, that you put the lives of my friends at risk. You put the life of Nel in the line...Thatis something I really doubt I can forgive" He said with a cold expression, only more prominent now that he was an Arrancar.

"I understand. I... Don't expect to be forgiven, my King" Ulquiorra replied, bowing to him. "The only thing I ask, is that you allow me to fight by your side and protect you in this and all the wars that we are destined to face. I know, it must be impossible to trust me in this situation, but I insist, there is no dark intent behind these words. My purpose is to protect you, I am the Moonshield"

"What does that mean?" Ichigo asked intrigued.

"It is what the night told me when I died" He got one of his eyes out and crashed it, allowing them all to see what happened.

_In a deep pitch black void, the only thing visible was the moon._

_"You are the Moonshield. And the moon is... Kurosaki Ichigo"A ghostly voice said._

The vision ended, and Ulquiorra's eye regenerated.

"So that's why..." Ichigo finally got it. "Why didn't you show me that last time?"

"I thought, it was too much for you in that point. You needed to get more used to your new existence, in order to start to comprehend the meaning of your being. You are our only hope, Kurosaki Ichigo" The Espada answered.

"Very well then. I will allow you to fight by my side, but not because I trust you" He looked at his friend. "It's because Inoue trusts you, and that is enough of a reason for me"

Ulquiorra looked at him with the most hopeful eyes.

"I want you to tell me though, what is that which you treasure the most in the WORLD?" Ichigo asked.

"That... I... I don't know. Like, I'm sorry but... I don't seem to-"

"Then answer me this simple question. What is the thing you wish to protect the most?" Ichigo was dead serious.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened once more. He finally understood what made Kurosaki Ichigo so strong. At last, he could comprehend the value of that mythical artifact called heart.

Nothing makes you stronger than having something to protect. And, the only way to obtain such thing, is by loving something. By filling your heart.

He finally understood that his transformation into _Etapa Final_ wasn't a coincidence. It wasn't some kind of miracle.

At first sight, _Resurrección_ is just releasing the raw Hollow power dormant inside of an Arrancar.

To achieve a higher state, however, a requirement had to be met. The Arrancar had to truly accept the nature of its power, the root of all. By doing such, it was possible to unlock the next level,Segunda Etapa.

In the end, however, to truly awaken the power dormant within itself, the Arrancar must do something totally contrary. Instead of accepting its nature, the Arrancar must defy its own being.

When he evolved into _Etapa Final,_ he no longer saw life as a pointless waste of time. For the first time, he valued the life he had and wished to keep it. Such action, went against Nihilism. Against Murciélago. Against...

Ulquiorra.

"I... Never cared about anything. Never felt anything. Never dreamed about anything..." He started saying. "But that's the same reason why... I ended up being the most intrigued about the Heart. What it was... What it meant... What it felt like..." He put his hand on his upper chest, covering his Hollow Hole with it. "The fact that I could finally grasp what the enigmatic Heart was... Because of her" He looked at Inoue.

"Cifer-kun..." She blushed.

"What I want to protect, even more than my being. Even more than you, my Lord... Is the Heart that gave life to mine. I want to protect... Inoue Orihime"

The rest was silent as they looked in shock at the Espada's confession. For the first time, they realized that the Arrancar that used to be their enemy had feelings.

Orihime, a human girl, had turned him against his own nature.

"Now, this is something you don't see everyday" Urahara, who had been watching from the distance, muttered as he tilted his hat upwards to see it better.

"Indeed... Do you remember the first time we encountered that guy?" Yoruichi, as a cat, reminded him the time they faced Ulquiorra and Yammy. "I think I've never seen such a lifeless being in my entire life"

"Yeah. Even Arrancar seem to have a hint of emotion. This guy had none though. Scary... But it seems he's not that way anymore" He pointed out.

Ichigo walked towards Ulquiorra, expressionless.

Everyone had their eyes fixed on him as he got close to the Espada. No one knew what to expect. Would he be angry at his reply? Or would he act differently?

Once the two were close to each other, Ichigo offered him his hand.

"If what you say is true, then I'll show no more contempt for you. I must ask you to apologize to everyone for everything though"

Ulquiorra looked as Ichigo as if he was the most compassionate being he had ever seen.

"Thank you, my King" He shook his hand. "I will proceed to offer an apology"

Ulquiorra went down on his knees and bowed in front of everyone present.

"I'm deeply sorry for taking Inoue Orihime away and putting your lives in danger as a result. I will understand if you don't feel like forgiving me, but I hope you understand that I never wished for you to be harmed in any way. I will fight as an ally of yours from now on, under the orders of Kurosaki Ichigo, promising to risk my life in order to protect both my and your world from the remaining Oni"

Everyone looked at the Arrancar, unable to mutter a word. They never expected him to show any feelings towards them, but there he was, showing his regret and hoping to atone for his sins.

"Ulquiorra. You can stand up now" Ichigo ordered him. "I don't have anything else to tell you. We're leaving in a moment"

"Yes, my Lord"

"And please, drop those unnecessary formalities. I'm no one's King, and even if I was, I'd prefer to be called by my name"

"Ichigo...Sama?" He tried his best.

"Good enough, I guess" Ichigo felt better. "So, I think this is goodbye, at least for a while..." He sighed.

"Wait, Ichigo" Uryuu had to give them something. "I fixed Nel's uniform and... Took the liberty of making you one as well. It has the same specs as Nel's" He passed the clothes in a bag.

"That's so sweet of you, Ishida-san, thank you!" Nel hugged the bag.

"You didn't have to do that much" Ichigo said in reply.

"It's better this way. You gotta be prepared for the time the Oni show themselves again" Uryuu said as he touched his glasses.

"Well, thanks. Once the Demons make their move, we'll be back. I'll see you guys again as soon as possible" Ichigo felt awkward bidding everyone farewell, so he tried to leave as soon as possible, using _Descorrer _to open a _Garganta_.

"Wait, Ichigo!" Rukia stopped him.

"What is it, Rukia?" He was surprised.

"Please, let me go with you. Now that the Oni were erased and banished from Hueco Mundo, I can carry out my promise" She reminded him.

"Your promise...? You mean..."

"Exactly. Ashido-san should still be in the Forest of Menos"

"Ashido... That guy who helped us back then?" Ishida remembered.

"Yeah. We didn't have an opportunity before, but there must be a way now. He's been down there for far too long, fighting endlessly to no avail. He deserves to go back to the Seireitei and lead a better life"

"Rukia... I...!" Renji didn't want her to go alone. "I'll go with you!"

"Renji..." She was amazed at first, but hearing such words made her smile. "I'd be really happy if you did"

"That settles it then. I'm coming, Ichigo" Renji said with a cool attitude.

"I don't think there's really a problem, but I'm gonna have to ask you to take care. We don't know what the Oni could be planning right now"

"We know, so you don't have to worry, Ichigo" Rukia replied.

"Um... Ichigo. I know you're not gonna like this..." Orihime started saying shyly. "...But I'm... I'm coming as well!" She finished determined.

Everyone became mute. It was simply unbelievable that she wanted to return after being abducted twice.

"Inoue... W-What?!" Ichigo muttered in greater disbelief.

"What you heard. I'm not leaving Ulquiorra alone. He needs a friend, and I... I really enjoy his company..." She admitted.

Her words shook everyone present. Ishida, however, seemed to be quite calm.

"I think I understand what's going on here..." He adjusted his glasses and looked to the horizon.

Orihime didn't know why, but she blushed as Ishida was about to reveal the reason behind her actions.

"The reason why Inoue is acting in such a way is very simple..." Everyone looked at him perplexed.

"A threat?!" Chad thought with fierce eyes, still not trusting the Espada.

"L-Love...?" Nel deduced with an amused look.

"Madness?" Ichigo feared for his friend.

"Inoue has Stockholm syndrome!" Ishida pointed a finger at her.

Everyone fell backwards, as their deductions were incorrect, or... Maybe not? After all...

"Wait, what the heck is that?" Renji asked, in place of everyone.

"It is a condition in which a prisoner or hostage develops a feeling of dependence towards their kidnapper" Uryuu explained, making use of his medical knowledge.

"Wait, so that means... Inoue-san is in love with Ulquiorra?!" Rukia came to the same conclusion as Nel.

"EEEEEHHHHHHH?!" Everyone but Uryuu and the mentioned Espada yelled.

"What...?" Orihime got as red as a tomato over such an assumption.

Ulquiorra simply looked in shock.

"Well... I wouldn't say it's the same as love, though it does share some similar traits" Ishida clarified.

"Wow... It is a convincing argument I must say" Urahara joined the conversation.

"Damn, Inoue is way wilder than I thought..." Yoruichi commented as she licked one of her paws.

"I-I-I-It's not that! I swear!" She tried to defend herself.

"Don't worry, Orihime-chan, we all have our weird tastes. No one is judging you" Urahara replied with a chuckle.

Orihime's face turned into a shadowy smile, as she thought that everyone saw her as a freak now.

"Well, maybe what Urahara-san says is true..." Nel thought. "After all, I really liked when Ichigo got rougher with me... Yeah, I did tell him that I was a masochist when we first met" She blushed, looking at Ichigo.

"Is something the matter?" He asked her.

"No no! I was just... Lost inside my thoughts!" She replied.

"Anyway... This means you're going to come to Hueco Mundo as well, Inoue?" Ichigo sighed.

"Uh?" Orihime snapped back into the conversation. "Y-Yes. I won't let you go otherwise" She declared.

"Tch... There's no helping it then" Ichigo pointed _Zangetsu_ at Ulquiorra. "You better keep your word, cause otherwise, death will seem like a pleasure in comparison to the Hell I'll put you through"

"I understand. Don't worry, I'll protect and care for her at all times. You can punish me in any way you want to otherwise" Ulquiorra vowed, with an even more serious expression than normal.

"Good" Ichigo nodded. "There's nothing left to do here then, let's go"

"Yeah" The two Shinigami replied, as Orihime and the two Arrancar were ready to follow him.

"Take care, Ichigo. You'll always be the one I throw punches for" Chad said, hugging Ichigo with great strength.

"Heh, you can always throw punches for anyone that needs it. You're a great guy, Chad, and I hope we see each other again soon"

"Aw... How heart-warming" Yoruichi mocked with a devilish grin. She had turned back into a human when no one was watching, though she was only wearing a Yukata.

"Thanks for everything, Yoruichi. Urahara. You guys have been really supportive of me and my friends... I'm really grateful" Ichigo bowed.

"Don't be so formal, come 'ere!" Yoruichi said as she grabbed his head and shoved it to her chest, careful not to be hurt by his horn of course.

"Umph!" He muttered as she continued rubbing his face there, enjoying how Ichigo, even as an Arrancar, got as red as a strawberry if sexually harrassed.

She laughed frenetically until she noticed a slamming brutal Reiatsu raising a couple meters from her.

Nel looked at her with a serious yet dread face. She did not say or do anything, but just her look of wanting to reduce the cat-woman to ashes was enough for Yoruichi to stop.

"Ahahaha... Sorry, Nel, it was just a joke!" Yoruichi let go of Ichigo, who took a deep breath.

"It better be..." She replied with a voice as cold as her face and wrapped Ichigo around her arms. "He's mine!"

"H-Huge boobs!" Ichigo thought, as he was now being pressed against Nel's insead of Yoruichi's.

"Wow... I've never seen Nel-chan so angry before. It seems you won't be able to tease Ichigo that way anymore" Urahara laughed at her.

"That's how it looks... And it was so fun... But if she doesn't want it, there's nothing I can do" Yoruichi admitted defeat. She knew better than anyone how powerful she had become.

Everyone chuckled nervously as they witnessed the scene. Seeing how the ambient had become more dense, Ichigo gave Nel a kiss to calm her down.

"It's okay, Nel, no need for you to take it so seriously"

"I'm sorry, Ichi, but she really crossed the line this time!" Nelliel excused herself, frowning as she crossed her arms.

"I know, but don't worry. It doesn't seem like she'll do it again" He smiled at her. "And besides... I'm only yours"

"Ichi..."

Nel smiled and kissed him in return, instantly improving her mood. "I forgive you, Yoruichi-san... As long as you don't try to do pervy stuff to Ichigo again" She gave her a friendly yet slightly Yandere expression as she informed her of the conditional.

"Ahaha, don't worry about that!" She smiled nervously as a single drop of cold sweat fell down her cheek.

"With that settled, I wish you all the best" Urahara said. "Remember to tell me about anything interesting you find out, Kurosaki-san"

"I'll do my best. See you" He replied with a small vow. "And before I forget. Take good care of my sister, Ishida!"

"What?!" Uryuu froze when he heard that.

"Don't give it too much thought, you'll find out soon enough"

"Ooookay..." He said unsure. "Take care, Kurosaki, Inoue"

"We all will!" Orihime replied happily. "I can't wait to teach my special recipes to Arrancar all over Hueco Mundo!" She spinned in one foot out of pure joy just by imagining such a possibility.

Everyone looked at her with a fearful expression, but she was too immersed in her own thoughts to notice.

Ichigo chuckled as he opened the dark portal once again. "Let's go..."

"Bye everyone, see you soon!" Nel and Orihime waved their hand.

"It won't be too long, but please tell my brother if he gets worried, Yoruichi-san" Rukia told her.

"I will if that's the case... Even if he doesn't want to see me" She pouted.

"I'll be looking out for her in any case" Renji added.

"I don't think knowing that will put him at ease to be honest..." Yoruichi mocked.

"You little...!" Renji frowned with a violent grin.

Rukia just laughed and pulled him by the back of his Shihakusho into the dark dimension. The rest did the same, using their Reishi to create a path and making their way into the world of Hueco Mundo.

"Hm... Why do I feel like something's missing?" She stopped for a moment.

"What is it, Nel?" Ichigo noticed. "Did you forget something?"

"No, it must be my imagination. And if I forgot, it mustn't be really important!" She ran to his side, forgetting about everything else.

They continued waiting, as the _Garganta_ was starting to close, in order for it to open at the other side.

"Wait...! Nel-sama!" Pesche and Dodochakka ran as fast as they could and entered the portal.

"You guys...!" Renji and Rukia looked back.

"What the..." Ulquiorra observed bewildered.

"Pesche! Dondochakka!" Nel noticed, not understanding how she could forget them.

"_SUPER DESERT DASH!"_ Pesche pretended to do a special move, when in fact, it was just him using his brother as a surfboard.

"Why me?!" Dondochakka complained.

"So long, Boss!" Pesche made a cool sign with his fingers to say goodbye to Urahara, which made the shop owner chuckle.

In the last possible moment, the two Arrancar went through the gate and fell into the portal.

"Why didn't you wait for us, Nel-sama?! We would give our lives for you!" Pesche asked crying.

"I'm sorry, I somehow forgot... But why weren't you with us either? You sleep in the Training Grounds!" She pointed out.

"About that... You see, there are many reasons why warriors of our caliber could..." Pesche started making some nonsense up.

"We overslept" Dondochakka told the truth as he stood up, making Nel sigh in reply.

"Whatever... Let's go. There are many things we must do ahead" Ichigo said.

Orihime waited along Ulquiorra as the other side of the void opened.

"In the end... We could come here together" She said happily.

"Yes. I'm glad that's the case. But, please be careful and don't leave my side. I can't even imagine what Ichigo-sama would do to me if something happened to you, no to mention that I would never forgive myself if that were the case"

"Don't worry, it won't be" She chuckled and hugged him playfully.

"I hope so..." He blushed slightly in reply. "Oh, it's starting to open"

"Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue called his attention.

"I know. I imagine Hollows have returned by now...?"

"Yes, so we should be careful. If we're lucky, either Grimmjow or Tier will be around to greet us" Nel replied.

"Though that won't explain Ulquiorra's presence" Ichigo added.

"I'm ready to explain that much myself, in spite of the consequences" Ulquiorra replied.

"Here we go!" Rukia pointed out as they entered a blinding light, only to fall on the doorstep of Las Noches.

As they fell, everyone noticed the place was practically brimming with life. A large group of Arrancar they had never met was on the surroundings of the palace.

"Intruders!" A male voice was heard.

"Ah... Shit" Renji muttered.

"Here we go again" Rukia had the same energy.

They were surrounded by a group of soldiers with skeletal faces that looked exactly the same.

"Wait a minute... I know this guy!" Renji remembered. "Rukia-"

"Dammit. This is none other than that weird tree Arrancar" She remembered as if it was a drag.

"You know who we're dealing with?" Ichigo asked.

"It can only be Rudbornn" Nel and Ulquiorra said in unison.

"Well, it's not strange that you know him. After all, he is one of Aizen's oldest subordinates" The 4th Espada told her.

"Yeah, I figured you would know about him as well" She replied.

A confident laugh was heard.

"Hmph... Who dare show themselves in the palace of Queen Harribel?" Rudbornn asked from behind his Exequias.

His proud tone and attitude changed immediately as he realized who the "intruders" truly were.

"It... Can't... Be...!" He dropped on his knee immediately. "Ulquiorra-sama and... Nelliel-sama!"

It seemed that Nel's presence was far more impressive than Ulquiorra's for some reason, probably the amount of time that had passed since her disappearance.

"I see you remember me... Good" She said coldly, as she was never fond of him in any way. He was too much of a bootlicker.

"Of course. I would never forget an Espada of your level, Nelliel-sama. That goes for you as well, Ulquiorra-sama"

"Really? I'm impressed to see you alive as well, Rudbornn" Ulquiorra replied. "It seems no one else knows what I did to this place. After all... Only Grimmjow and Harribel saw me, and only she got to see me fight, even though I didn't show her anything she didn't know about already" He thought.

"But, Ulquiorra-sama... How...?" He stood up.

"I don't have time to explain silly things, we need to see Harribel" He evaded the question before even hearing it, cause he knew it was most probably about his resurrection.

"Oh, of course. May I ask why are you with Shinigami by your side? And also, who is that other Arran-?"

"Rudbornn, take us with Harribel" Nel insisted, not wanting to waste anymore time answering the questions of a mere subordinate who didn't know a thing about the war against the Oni they were fighting.

"Y-Yes, Nelliel-sama, sorry for my imprudent behaviour" Rudbornn bowed to show respect.

"Hmph! Amateur..." Pesche murmured to his brother.

The leader (and sole member) of the Exequias guided them through the hallways of Las Noches, where they came across many other Arrancar they didn't recognize, probably survivors of Aizen's Números.

Among them, were two that Orihime and Ulquiorra remembered perfectly though.

"Loly...!" The blonde one called her sister's attention. "Is that...?"

"Yes... It is princess, and Ulquiorra as well..." The black haired one replied in a whisper, waiting for them to get further away to continue the talk. "Who is...?"

As they passed, their eyes became fixated on a taller long-haired Arrancar that called their attention for his strong and yet handsome appearance, making them blush a little. Loly, as expected, also gave a look of jealousy at Nel's figure.

After a couple more corridors, they finally were arriving at the Throne Room.

Inside, Grimmjow was rolling his eyes as he leaned on the wall, while Harribel was discussing with her Fracción about something.

"But Harribel-sama! You can't be serious when naming a guy like that as your right-hand man!" Apacci spouted, not caring about the fact that he was present. "He's violent and arrogant and rude and mean...!"

"Not to mention his terrible attitude!" Mila Rose added.

"Ow, look who's talking" Sung-Sun got a growl from her fellow Fracción. "But seriously, Harribel-sama, I normally don't agree with them, but are you sure that there are no other options?"

"Just think about it, he even betrayed Aizen-sa..." She received a piercing look form Harribel, who was wearing her normal Espada uniform, covering her mouth with the zip-jacket. "I mean Aizen, but...!"

"Look..." Harribel sighed. "I know Grimmjow better than you all three do, so I perfectly know what I'm doing. End of the discussion"

Grimmjow chuckled as he heard Harribel's verdict, earning a trio of dread looks from the Tres Bestias.

"Grimmjow-sama, Queen Harribel" Rudbornn said as he entered the room, in front of everyone.

"What is it Rudbornn?" She asked, just as the Exequias exited the room so she could see the situation. "Nel-sama! Ichigo!"

"Sama?!" The Fracción couldn't believe there was someone Harribel would treat as a superior.

"I'm so glad to see you alive and well, Harri!" Nel ran to hug her.

They had become really good friends over the course of training, but only Nel had the personality to carelessly show her affection.

"I'm... Happy to see you too" She blushed, embarrassed as her Fracción and Grimmjow were there as well, but giving Nel a few pats on the back to respond to her warm embrace. "Now, I imagine you came back because of Ichigo..."

"Yeah..." Nel looked at her with a sad smile. "He said he's alright but, I know it's been difficult for him. For starters, he doesn't have a place to call home" She said in low volume.

"Don't worry, you can stay in the palace for as long as you need" Harribel replied.

"And also, Ulquiorra..." Nel said uneasy.

"I thought something like this would happen" Harribel had seen him as well. "Don't worry, just like what he said the time we fought, I don't have any personal grudge against him. I can't say the same about Grimmjow though" She looked at her friend, who was already walking menacingly towards Ulquiorra.

"And look who we have here..." Grimmjow circled around him like a wild panther with its prey.

Ulquiorra did not say anything in reply.

"What? You're just gonna ignore me like in the old times? How original..."

"I don't have any reason to talk with you, Grimmjow" Ulquiorra finally spoke.

"Oh really?" The blue-haired Espada grabbed his jacket and pushed him against the wall. "...Cause I've got a lot of things I wanted to discuss with you. Starting with... How many times can you regenerate your limbs? Endlessly...?" Grimmjow grabbed Ulquiorra's right arm and pulled it out of his body.

An explosion of blood covered the two and splattered the immaculate floor of the Throne Room. Ulquiorra did not show any sign of being in pain however.

"Cifer-kun...!" Orihime felt faint.

"What... The...?!" Everyone else was in shock, some even felt sick.

The Arrancar girls simply looked at the scene without making a sound. They were used to violence, but Grimmjow had crossed the line. This was just barbaric.

Grimmjow threw Ulquiorra's arm away, as if it was a piece of trash.

"Are you happy now?" Ulquiorra asked him without changing his expression. He would not show him an ounce of pain.

"Tch... Not really. Maybe I'll be after repeating that a couple more times!" He grabbed his left arm.

Before he could continue the grotesque demonstration, a hand grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Grimmjow, it's enough" Ichigo told him seriously.

"Ichigo, that look suits you well" Grimmjow grinned. "As an Arrancar, you should learn that the way we deal with things here is very different from how you're used to. The strong punish the weak"

"Oh really? Then you should be willing to let him go if I order you to, cause you're weaker than I am, and you're weaker than Ulquiorra as well"

"Why you...?!" Grimmjow grinded his teeth with anger as he let go of Ulquiorra. "How can you stand up for him after...!"

"I have my reasons, that's all"

"Whatever... I'm the hell outta here" Grimmjow exited with his hands on his pockets, clearly pissed and frustrated.

After his footsteps were not heard anymore, Orihime approached Ulquiorra.

"Cifer-kun, I'll heal you in no time!" She said as she created the orange energy field.

"There's no need. I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all..."

"Let her, Ulquiorra, it's an order. I know your regenerative prowess is not so great in your base form"

"But I-"

"Yes, I know you feel like you deserve this all, and maybe you're right. However, you must be in top condition to protect Inoue, understood?"

"Yes, Ichigo-sama..." He replied and let Orihime heal his lost arm.

"Ichigo-sama?!" The Tres Bestias' jaws dropped once more.

"So what you told us back then was true. You _are_ Ichigo's guardian" Harribel said.

"It is the role the night gave me, and it is the path I've chosen to follow..." The Arrancar replied as his arm was regenerated by Orihime's powers.

Once it was fully restored, he finished his thoughts. "In fact, that's the path we should all follow if we want a brighter future"

"But... Wait a minute!" Apacci said. "Is that... Kurosaki Ichigo!?" She pointed with her finger at the orange haired Arrancar.

"Yes. I didn't tell you everything in detail so you couldn't have known. Ichigo became an Arrancar during his battle with Ulquiorra. Though I have yet to understand why..." The actual Queen retorted.

"Believe me, Harribel, not even I know that clearly" Ichigo replied. "Ulquiorra said I'm supposed to be Gran Rey Cero's reincarnation or something of sorts, but it's impossible to tell for sure. Actually, that's why I came back here in the first place, I heard there's a man that might have answers"

"Yes. The Arrancar Nel-sama's Fracciones encountered seems to know a great deal of information, though he said he won't speak to anyone but you for some unknown reason. Maybe what Ulquiorra said is true after all"

"Who knows? In any case, I think the best would be going to the ruins and finding out"

"I'll go with you" Nel told him.

"I imagined you'd say that" He chuckled, glad to have her.

"Well, I wanna see this immortal Arrancar with my own eyes..." She admitted.

"Also, Ichigo... Sorry if I'm being inappropriate, but I couldn't help but notice that mark on your Hollow Hole" Harribel said.

"Now that you mention it, Harribel-san, I was also curious about it" Orihime revealed.

"Oh, that..." Nel blushed and looked away.

"Well... You see... We aren't really sure about what it means yet. All we know is that... It is proof of the bond we share" Ichigo replied a bit uptight.

"I'm not sure I understand you" Harribel gave them a puzzled look.

"So that means...!" Orihime got beet red as she thought of it. There was only one possible explanation.

"Don't worry, Tier. After we come back, I'll explain it in more detail" Nel whispered to her.

"Okay..." She replied, still not understanding much.

"Hey, Harribel-san" Rukia spoke. "Could you show us a way to get to the forest below Las Noches? There is a Shinigami we must find in there"

"Of course. I'm a bit busy now though, so I'll send my girls with you. Please help them" She asked her Fracción.

"But they...!" Mila Rose couldn't believe it.

"They are Shinigami!" Apacci completed.

"Oh, grow up" Sung-sun told them. "They are friends of Harribel-sama, so it's fine. She wouldn't send us if she didn't trust them in the first place"

"That's right, Sung-Sun. Actually, I wanted to invite you to stay at Las Noches while you are in Hueco Mundo. It's the least I can do... After all, we could've never gotten this place back without your help"

"Thank you, Harribel" Ichigo replied.

"Thank you very much, Harribel-san" Orihime said as well.

"Well, let's not waste any more time. Let's head to Ruinas Huecas" Ichigo declared.

"Yes" Nel started walking along him.

"What secrets does that Arrancar withhold? I guess time will tell..." Harribel thought.

~~~~X~~~~

**After two weeks of lots of studying and bullshit I'm back. I'm still with tests ahead, but I still made time to write this chapter.**

**I'm also particularly frustrated as I didn't get Nel Parasol from the Senkaimon summons shit. Fucking KLab knows my objective, I'm sure, cause I had about 1600 orbs that I used in that banner, and got all the fucking characters from it but my Nel.**

**You can't win, that's a reality with fucking pay to win games.**

**Anyway, I'll do my best to bring the next Chapter (which will finally reveal some stuff) as soon as possible.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Wow! This was great! I enjoyed it! So it seems Ichigo has made his goodbyes (hopefully just for now; it's possible he'll still visit). And we also see Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro! Awesome. I'm glad they were able to say goodbye as well, seeing as they were unable to when Ichigo and co. went to rescue Orihime during the Winter War. Speaking of, looks like Orihime wants to stay and go with Ulquiorra to Hueco Mundo! And Ulquiorra himself wishes to make friends! Omg! Cool. I was also surprised you had Ichigo give Kon the decision to live as him from now on too. Very generous of the guy. It's also good that Kon promised to "control" himself around the ladies too. Lol. But yea. See ya next update! This was good!_**

**_P.S. Almost forgot! Looks like Ulquiorra isn't immune to Orihime's cooking either! Poor guy. I shudder to think what Orihime will make him try later on... *brrr* That scene also reminds me of an event scenario from Bleach Brave Souls. Did you get inspiration from that?_**

**_P.S.S. Another thing, will Ichigo, Neliel, Harribel, and Grimmjow be able to make more Arrancar to help in the Oni invasion? If so, how?_**

**Reply: Well, I never really saw that event on brave Souls tbh, I just had that idea cause Orihime cooks like shit lol.**

**Now, about the rest of Arrancar, the ones we know are not strong enough to face the remaining Demons of course, but that just means our dear Espada will have to go explore outside of what they know in order to get new members...**

**See you all next Chapter! Evhron out.**


	20. Ancestral, I

Nel and Ichigo changed into their Espada uniform, just in case there was trouble on the way. Both exited the palace afterwards to head towards the ruins in search of the immortal Arrancar.

"Hey Nel, I don't really remember the right path to be honest..." Ichigo admitted.

"Oh right. Only a part of the ruins connect with Las Noches. The deepest part is a bit far. Dondochakka must've summoned Bawabawa to get there faster"

"Guess we'll have to use Sonido or something to-" He noticed she got her sword out. "Nel?"

"Declare... _Gamuza_!" She transformed into a Centaur.

"W-What the...?" Ichigo muttered as Nel grabbed him from under his arms and left him riding on her back. "What are you doing?"

"Something I wished to do once I could keep my transformation without reverting into a child" She blushed. "You don't like it...?" She became worried.

"No, it's not that, at all. It's just... It never even crossed my mind that I would ever do this. After all... You're a person, not a horse... Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"If it's you who rides me, I couldn't be any happier" She gave him her most joyful smile yet.

"Then I'll ride you as many times as you want..." He whispered in her ear as she tilted her head towards him so he could kiss her.

After that, he chuckled nervously because of the sexual connotation that phrase had, but right after he remembered that Nel didn't know about such things.

"Hold tightly" She told him.

"Okay..." He gently put his arms around her waist and rested his head in her human back.

"How do you feel?" She asked him as she started galloping softly through the desert.

"It's amazing, Nel. Your soft fur and sweet scent are out of this world..." He hugged her tightly.

"You always say the most beautiful things..." She couldn't be more in love. "I'll take you anywhere you want, Ichigo. No matter how far"

"There's no need for you to go to that extent, though I'd gladly go to the edge of the Earth and beyond, as long as I'm with you"

"Are you ready?" She asked him before rushing.

"Yeah"

"Let's go!" She raised and moved her front legs in the air like a horse before battle.

"Woah!" Ichigo was surprised by her energy.

Nel charged forward at a tremendous speed. Despite her velocity, Ichigo found the sound of her hoofs to be really soothing. In addition to that, he knew she was worried about him enjoying the ride, so it was obvious that she was doing her best to make him comfortable.

He couldn't help but laugh happily due to the endorphin and dopamine he released because of the exihilarating situation.

Nel was as happy as she could ever be. It was a mixture of feeling useful and loved.

Ichigo would caress her hair and back as she galloped through the endless desert, which gave her a sensation similar to the one she had when he pat her head, but on a whole other level.

Once on the entrance of the ruins, Ichigo carefully got off from her back.

"Thank you Nel, I really enjoyed it"

"Anything for you, ~Ichi~" She hugged him strongly, and Ichigo thanked her with a long kiss before she returned to her normal form.

The two went through the labyrinth for a couple minutes. It wasn't easy to find the right path, and there was no noise this time. However, Ichigo could feel something was guiding him towards their destination.

"I can't believe we haven't got lost through this dark maze" Nel spoke.

"I don't know why... But I can somehow tell what the right path is"

"Maybe... That old artifact, the Heart of Tsukoyomi... Is connected to you in some way"

"It could be. That would explain why that Arrancar wanted to tell me about it... But only by getting there we can know for sure"

"Yes" She nodded. "Say, Ichigo... Haven't you thought about the possibility of what Ulquiorra said being completely true? I mean... You being the rightful ruler of Hueco Mundo"

"N-No? That would be nonsense...!" He denied. "There is no such thing as a rightful ruler of anything. Even if I am the reincarnation of Gran Rey Cero... I'm not a king, Nel, and I know nothing about ruling"

"But... Maybe you're good at it. Maybe you're the one destined to save this world from the vicious circle of senseless killings and consumption"

"I... I'm not sure I could do that. I don't even know who I am anymore" His voice was a bit upset now.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just... Wish there was a way out of this misery" She looked sad.

"But, Nel... You said so yourself, we are Wholes, we are not miserable, not when we have each other" He hugged her, seeing how her mood darkened.

"Yeah, _we_ are Wholes. But we are not alone in this world, Ichigo. Countless Hollows can't even dream of such a thing as happiness..."

"Well... You're right about that. But, we are not some enlightened beings or Gods. We are Arrancar, just like them. We can't carry the weight of the world on our shoulders..."

"That's true... But, if there's something we can do... Anything... I want to try..."

"Don't worry..." He caressed her cheek gently. "I'll do everything I can. If that will make you happy... I'll do it"

"Thanks, Ichi... But, don't think for one second that I'm not happy enough just being with you, cause I really am. There's no way I could be miserable as long as you exist..." Her hazel eyes shined upon him. "It's just... That I believe we can do something to help more of our kind"

"I know. Heh, I can't believe you were once an Espada... You are just too good"

"Well, I had to become one against my will... But even so, I did slay countless other Hollows during my life-"

"Just like any other Arrancar has. Nel, you don't have to feel guilty about it, you did what you had to do, that's all"

"Maybe... Despite all the harm Nnoitra did to me, maybe something good did come out of it. Imagine if I had still been an Espada under Aizen's command... It's possible that I was ordered to erase you"

"Well, at least that didn't happen. I can't imagine myself fighting you... Let alone harming you...! I... I don't know what could've happened if that was to occur... But thank God that was not the case" He pat her head and broke the hug by gently pushing Nel from her shoulders. "Let's go. We must be close to the end"

"Yeah!" She agreed, feeling more motivated.

~~~~X~~~~

Meanwhile, Renji, Rukia and Harribel's Fracción were going in the opposite direction, towards a path that allowed them to enter the Forest of Menos.

Mila Rose and Apacci were not really fond with the idea of helping strangers, and even less if they were Shinigami, but Harribel's orders were absolute.

On the other hand, Sung-Sun perfectly understood that they couldn't be a threat after training and fighting alongside their master.

"So... A Shinigami has been down there, fighting endlessly for hundreds of years?" The snake Arrancar was impressed.

"Yeah, more or less. He really helped us when we came here last time and we were about to exit the forest with him but... Something happened and he decided to sacrifice himself. I doubt he died though" Rukia replied sadly.

"I imagine a guy like that has been killing Hollows endlessly since his arrival" Mila Rose spouted.

"As expected from a Shinigami... Actually, why do we even bother searching for him?" Apacci said pissed.

Rukia and Renji frowned, but decided not to care, while Sung-Sun closed her eyes and covered her face with her long sleeve in disappointment.

Minutes later, they arrived at a cave that descended towards the Forest of Menos.

"Aside from the Forest of Menos and Las Noches... Are there any points of interest in Hueco Mundo?" Renji asked curious.

"Well... I imagine Ruinas Huecas is also an interesting place to explore. Harribel-sama also told me that you all went north, into the Dark Desert. I've heard that deeper into that area is another known spot, but not for the best of reasons. Although it _is_ one of the handful of places with actual water that we know of, having a small black lake surrounded by scary trees..." Sung-Sun recalled.

"What is the name of such a place?" Rukia asked.

"Blackwater Park" Apacci replied frowning. "Like Sung-Sun was saying, it is not a nice place. They say you can experience the darkest nights of Hueco Mundo in there, and that the Adjuchas that roam that place..."

"They are the most dangerous and ruthless ones you can find. Some are only a bit less powerful than a Vasto Lorde" Mila Rose completed.

"Is that true? Did you know anyone who came from that place?" Renji was surprised.

"We know for a fact that Starrk came from the Dunes beyond the Carved Desert Canyons (another intetesting place, West from the Palace) and, well, no one really knows where Barragan came from" Sung-Sun explained. "But..."

"We and lady Harribel believe Ulquiorra was born in there" Apacci finished the idea.

"What makes you think that? I mean, he's creepy and all but, is there any proof?" Rukia asked in reply.

"Aizen brought Ulquiorra personally, just like he did with Harribel-sama. He said that he was a really special Arrancar, but that we had to be understanding of his cold nature, as he had been found in a really dark and dangerous place..." Mila Rose told.

"In addition to that... Harribel-sama and we were curious about him at first, so she decided to ask Aizen what was so special about Ulquiorra, to which he replied with some kind of riddle" Sung-Sun recalled. "I think it was something like, _What would you think if you saw a White Gillian with black mask?_ Or something like that..."

"And at the time, there was some kind of rumour about... A completely white Vasto Lorde who killed Hollows by piercing them with his green _Cero_ and that was followed by hordes of Gillian deeper into the Dark Desert" Mila Rose added.

"The worst part is that he didn't need to feed upon other Hollows. That white Vasto Lorde was a legend even in Blackwater Park, until one day, he disappeared to never be seen again, possibly due to Aizen finding him" Apacci concluded. "The only destructive green _Cero_ I've seen in my life is his, cause Starrk's Fracción was just a kid, and... since no one really knows where Ulquiorra came from... It seems to be a possibility"

"Damn... That would explain why that guy is like that though" Renji found sense in the story.

"Inoue seems to be too attached to him for my taste however... And I know she's as kind as an angel but, I think it's too much" Rukia muttered.

"Ulquiorra is not like other Arrancar. In fact, I think he's of the scariest kind. You never know what he's thinking and doesn't seem to have any emotions either..." Apacci shivered a bit.

"Actually, how come he's alive? He wasn't here when we came back and... Yammy said that he felt Ulquiorra's Reiatsu vanishing until he couldn't feel it anymore" Sung-Sun asked.

"That Yammy... He was only good at being a total piece of shit" Mila Rose spouted. "He used to smash everything to pieces when he was angry, a total brute. Even Nnoitra had a bit more of brains, and the guy literally had his Hollow Hole going through his head!"

"Though Kukkapuuro is really cute" Mila Rose smiled as she thought of the Hollow dog. "Remember when we came back after the assault on Karakura Town? He was the one who came to greet us, while Yammy was dying on the sand"

"I still can't believe he survived. His Reiatsu was dropping so fast, I thought he was ready to be buried six feet under" Apacci replied.

"He lived to tell the tale, although I haven't seen him in a while, thankfully" Sung-Sun commented.

"He died, don't you remember? Harribel-Sama said that those Shinigami with Hollow masks saw him get eaten by one of the Dukes" Apacci reminded her.

"Oh, you're right... Well, not that I really care but, poor Kukkapuuro, he really liked him for some reason. He must be searching for him all around the desert" Sung-Sun thought a bit sad that their new pet wouldn't be happy with that outcome.

"Anyway..." Renji started. "The thing is that Ulquiorra's back. Though for some reason, he seems harmless"

"WHAT?!" The four women couldn't believe their ears.

"Renji, you can't be serious!" Rukia said.

"Just think about it. Ichigo and Nel were unconscious, we were all tired from all the fighting, and the guy's Reiatsu was on a level we couldn't even feel... He could've killed us all, Rukia, EASILY! But, for some reason, he didn't. For some inexplicable reason he was worried about Ichigo and even helped us by opening a _Garganta_ to get back home safely. It's true, I can't say I truly trust the guy, but I can't see why he would be lying either"

"Well, that- That..." Apacci grabbed her chin, thinking. "That's a pretty good point actually..." She admitted. "Wait a second, what are you talking about?"

"The aftermath, after the fight with the Dukes...?" Rukia looked at her stranged. "Didn't Harribel-san tell you?"

"Ulquiorra was there?" Sung-Sun asked surprised. "I knew he had come back, but I didn't know he had participated in the fight too"

"Ah, shit..." Renji muttered.

"Wait a second, what's going on?!" Mila Rose asked astonished.

"I think the best you can do is ask Harribel-san directly..." Rukia replied insecure.

"Oh, no, don't give me that crap! You know what happened so you're not going anywhere until you explain in detail what the hell happened!" The dark-skinned Arrancar demanded, pointing Rukia and Renji with a defiant finger.

"*sigh* I imagine Harribel-san didn't tell you cause she knew Uqluiorra would come back eventually... But well, the thing is..." Rukia replied as an introduction.

She and Renji told the three about the events that had led to the confrontation with Ulquiorra and the Oni, not omitting any information.

The Tres Bestias couldn't understand how their master was so calm with Ulquiorra returning to Hueco Mundo after everything he had done.

"I'm fucking killing him once we go back" Apacci decided. "Now I see why Grimmjow was so pissed! I would've done the same...!

"Though I doubt even the three of us can do something against him if he's as strong as they say..." Sung-Sun replied.

"In that case, let's just get Grimmjow and convince Harribel-sama! I'm sure we'll have a chance!" Mila Rose said.

"Yeah!" Apacci agreed.

"*sigh* These two..." Sung-Sun distanced herself from her partners.

"I can see why Harribel didn't want to tell them about that..." Renji commented.

"It's not like they can do much in any case, so let's just let them be" Rukia replied. "More importantly, did you notice that we are already in the Forest?"

"Huh?" Mila Rose and Apacci realized.

"Well, we were guiding you here after all..." Mila Rose replied.

"Though neither of you noticed because you were too busy acting like furious monkeys..." Sung-Sun said in low voice, but wanting the two to hear them.

"HEY!" The two angrily replied, but that only made Sung-Sun grin under her sleeve.

"Now, Rukia... How are we supposed to find this guy?" Renji looked at the forest. "I didn't remember this place was so huge!"

"I... Didn't really think about that, but, we should come across him eventually, shouldn't we? Hahahaha..." Rukia laughed nervously.

The Tres Bestias looked at her as if saying "Seriously?", and sighed in unison.

"Well, looks like it's gonna be a bit tough. You three can go back if you want, after all, you're not Shinigami so I don't think it would be fair to ask you to go to such lengths for us" Renji concluded.

"I like that idea" Mila Rose agreed. "We showed them a way into the Forest of Menos, so our job is done"

"Yeah, let's go home" Apacci agreed.

"While that is true, I think we could do something more to help them. They aren't just nobodies, they are Lady Harribel's friends" Sung-Sun said.

"Oh c'mon!" Apacci spouted.

"Don't be so rude, Apacci. They are our guests. And besides, I have an idea"

"Really? What do you have in mind?" Mila Rose asked curious.

"We could summon Ayon and cause a ruckuss. I bet something like that would make a Hollow-hunter like him react"

"Who is Ayon?" Renji asked.

"It is a powerful beast we can create by combining our powers once we go into our _Resurrección" _Mila Rose explained.

"If that's the case, it's a really good idea!" Rukia replied surprised and cheerful.

Mila Rose and Apacci looked at each other with tedium.

"C'mon you two, it's not so hard... And that girl can recover our arms even faster if that's what you're worried about" Sung-Sun said, referring to Orihime.

"Tsk... Fine!" Apacci replied. "Thrust, _Cierva!"_

"Devour, _Leona!"_ Mila Rose followed.

"Strangle to death! _Anaconda" _Sung-Sun concluded. "Let's go..."

"_**Quimera Parca****!**" _The three said in unison as they cut one of their arms.

Red Reiatsu came out from their severed limbs, fusing together to create the giant Hollow chimera.

Renji and Rukia were impressed by such an ability, especially because of the size of Ayon.

"Hrrrrr..." It made a deep guttural sound.

"Hey, are you sure this thing's not gonna smash the forest completely?" Renji asked a bit worried.

"You don't have to worry about that. Ayon only does what we order him. There's a possibility that just increasing his Reiatsu is enough to get this Shinigami here anyway" Sung-Sun replied.

"Actually... I would like to see a legend like that fighting Ayon. He's strong right?" Apacci asked Rukia.

"Well, I guess his abilities overall match those of a Captain... But I think he doesn't know _Shikai_ or _Bankai" _She replied. "I don't think risking his life is a good idea"

"Oi, don't be like that..." Mila Rose replied. "Look all we've done to help you. We just want to have a bit of fun in return..." She grinned as she imagined a legendary battle.

"Hm... I don't really think that would be a good idea, but, we could tell Ayon to go easy at him" Sung-Sun said, being curious as well.

"You heard her, Ayon! How about a big roar while you show all your might?!" Apacci told him.

"GGRRAAAAHHHHHH!!!" The creature did as he was told.

Its Reiatsu wasn't particularly powerful for Renji and Rukia after facing the Oni, but they could tell that it was far greater than a normal Arrancar.

Ayon punched a couple trees to show its power, scaring a number of Menos and smaller Adjuchas that were in the area.

"That's great Ayon, keep going! Just, don't destroy the whole forest!" Mila Rose commanded.

Ayon replied with a low growl, proceeding to blast a large red _Cero_ from its mouth.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Renji whispered to Rukia.

"It's our best bet. If this doesn't do the job, I don't know what will" She replied, hopeful.

Ayon continued shaking the forest for about ten minutes, without any result. The Tres Bestias were about to call it off, when suddenly.

"Did you feel that?" Mila Rose sensed it.

"Yeah... It's a Shinigami Reiatsu, and it's really strong" Apacci grinned.

"Did it work?" Sung-Sun asked for confirmation.

In a flash, a cut appeared in Ayon's back. It wasn't really deep, but it was damage, making the beast scream in pain.

"Ayon!" The three exclaimed, only noticing the man in that moment.

A Shinigami of fair skin and reddish brown hair was holding his Zanpakutou, giving his back to Ayon.

They couldn't see his face, as he was wearing a cow-like Hollow skull as mask, though this one had no horns. However, the Hollow fur with Menos skulls he wore on top of his Shihakusho and the skull-shield he held made Rukia recognize him immediately.

"It's him!" She said from the distance, though they weren't close enough that he could notice them.

Ayon tried to punch the Shinigami with his giant fists, while Ashido dodged by flash-stepping through the surrounding trees.

"Damn, he's fast!" Mila Rose praised.

"It seems he's gotten stronger" Renji added.

"Maybe he's been training harder since we left" Rukia replied.

Ashido tried to slash the beast once more, but Ayon managed to block his attack.

"Tsk... I don't know what are you, or why are you so grown... But even so, the bigger they are, the harder they fall!" Ashido said as he went for Ayon's knees.

The chimera fell to the ground in pain, howling as it raised its Reiatsu.

"Hey, I think it's starting to get serious" Rukia warned the Arrancar girls.

"Just a bit more. This Shinigami is more interesting than I imagined" Mila Rose said.

Ayon blasted a giant red _Cero_ at Ashido, who used his shield to deviate the massive beam.

Before he could counter though, the creature ran towards him and threw a devastating kick.

Ashido managed to block with the shield, but after so much damage, it broke in two and he was sent flying.

"Ungh!" His back was hit against a tree, making him fall harshly on the ground. "You are way tougher... Than anything I've seen in this place so far..." He was panting.

"Ashido!" Rukia was about to help him, but Apacci caught her by the arm.

"Wait, I think he has something up his sleeve!" She noticed an increase in the Shinigami's Reiatsu.

Ashido stood up with difficulty.

"I don't like using this ability on Hollows... But there's not much of a choice" He held his sword's handle tighter.

"Look, Rukia!" Renji noticed.

"Bloom from the roots of the enemy... _Kokuran!" _Ashido used his _Shikai_.

The Zanpakutou changed form into a black curved blade full of holes.

"So he did have a Shikai after all...!" Rukia said impressed.

"Let's see what he can do" Renji replied, anxious to see its ability.

Ashido waited for the beast to do the first move. Ayon on his part, tried to punch him directly.

Ashido dodged the punch and ran up his arm, stopping once on the beast's neck.

"_Kyuushuu" _Ashido said, stabbing the beast in the back.

Ayon screamed in agony as his red Reiatsu was being absorbed by Ashido's sword.

"What is he doing?" Sung-Sun asked, impressed.

"I think he's sucking Ayon's Reishi! But..." Apacci said.

"He's a Shinigami... Could something happen to him if he mixed his own Reiryoku with a Hollow's?" Renji wondered.

"I don't know, but we cannot risk and find out. Please, stop it!" Rukia asked the three.

"Okay, it's been enough" Mila Rose agreed.

The three Arrancar absorbed Ayon's Reishi until the beast disappeared and turned into black ash, sealing their severed limbs (not healing them).

"Huh? Was that all?" Ashido wondered, as the creature had turned into nothingness, turning the sword back to its normal form and putting it on its sheath.

"Ashido!" Rukia called his attention and ran towards him.

"You... R-Rukia, wasn't it?"

"Yes!" She bowed in front of him. "I told you I was going to come back, so here I am!"

"I see. I didn't really think there was another way out of here... So I continued with my life of survival"

The other four got closer.

"Yo" Renji greeted. "Remember me?"

"I do remember your face, but nothing else"

"No worries. I'm Renji" He shook his hand.

"Ashido. Kanou Ashido"

The three Arrancar had gone back to their base form, and were discussing something between themselves, at a short distance from the Shinigami.

"What...? Arrancar?!" He pulled his sword out.

"No, Ashido!" Rukia stopped him. "They are not our enemies. They guided us here, in fact"

"Really? But... They are the ones that command these Hollows. How come they are not enemies?" He couldn't understand.

"It's a long story, pal. But don't worry, we'll fill you in on the way to Las Noches"

"Las Noches? The palace of the Espada?!" He seemed even more upset.

"Oi oi, calm down. The war with Aizen is over. Ichigo, the orange-haired guy that was down here with us defeated him. The Arrancar remaining are not evil. Believe us" Renji tried to put him more at ease.

"Is that... True? The war between Shinigami and Hollows is over?" He looked hopeful.

"I mean... Menos still cause trouble in the world of humans, but Arrancar are not interested in fighting us. However..." Rukia explained.

"There is a new major threat on the horizon. But... We'll tell you once we get out of here. There are many things we gotta put you up to date with, actually"

"I imagine..." He took his mask off, revealing his young looking face.

The Arrancar girls stared at him for a moment, blushing a little.

"C-Cool..." Apacci thought.

"Handsome..." Sung-Sun shared that idea.

"...And he's strong" Mila Rose thought that was the most important characteristic.

"So..." Ashido felt awkward speaking casually to the ones that had been his enemies since before he arrived in Hueco Mundo. "You helped my fellow Shinigami?"

"Y-Yeah! We are very good friends with them!" Sung-Sun replied, looking away and covering her face with her sleeve.

"Hey, you are amazing at fighting!" Mila Rose appeared in front of her.

"Yeah, our pet rarely has trouble fighting a single enemy!" Apacci added, screwing up.

"Your... Pet? You brought that monster here?" His eyes became hostile.

"Oh... Crap. No, you see...!" Apacci tried to solve it but Ashido was already drawing his sword.

"No, Ashido! It was something they thought of to get you here. I told them that you hunted Hollows and, since we didn't know how to find you in this giant forest, they thought it was a good idea!" Rukia explained.

"Really? Then why didn't you stop that thing sooner?" He was pissed and distrustful.

"Because... We wanted to see how strong you were" Sung-Sun admitted disappointed. "Rukia-san tried to stop us, but we insisted. Sorry for troubling you..." She apologized.

"Really, we didn't mean to put you in danger!" Apacci added.

"I was the first to insist, blame me..." Mila Rose took the blame, behaving in a strangely girly way as she gave a saddened look at Ashido.

"Hm... Alright. Neither Rukia nor Renji seem to have been hurt, so I don't really care..." He sighed. "By the way... Are you Espada?"

"No. We are Fracción" Apacci replied.

"We are known as the Tres Bestias. Fracciones of Lady Harribel, Tercera Espada..." Sung-Sun added.

"...And current Queen of Hueco Mundo" Mila Rose completed. "She has done everything possible in order to organize this land, but it's been difficult"

"All I care about is that you are really not planning to betray me or my friends" Ashido said, sceptical.

"That's really not it, Ashido-san, please understand" Sung-Sun replied sadly.

"They are not lying, Ashido" Renji clarified.

"I wouldn't be so sure, after all these years..." He replied bitterly. "Ungh!" He fell on his knees.

"Ashido, what's wrong?" Rukia asked.

"Oh no!" Sung-Sun said.

"Did we hurt him?!" Apacci became worried.

"Let's take him to the palace at once!" Mila Rose freaked out.

"*cough* *cough* It's nothing... It's just... A side-effect of my Zanpakutou's ability" He explained. "I don't like using it cause... Nothing good can come out of mixing my Reiryoku with Hollow Reishi... And I've done it a couple times already"

"So that's why you didn't use your _Shikai_ last time" Rukia said, finally understanding.

"Yeah... I thought that something like this would end up weakening me" He stood up again. "However... All it has done is making me stronger"

"But, that's a good thing, right?" Renji was confused.

"I don't really know. I feel... Like my body is not my own sometimes" He revealed.

"We should take him with Urahara" Renji said. "Can you three open a _Garganta_ to the human World?"

"No... I'm sorry, but summoning Ayon uses up a lot of Reishi" Sung-Sun replied.

"Besides, we are not able to use _Descorrer _in the same way as an Espada. It's not so easy" Mila Rose added.

"Let's take him to Las Noches. If Ichigo hasn't arrived by then, at least Harribel-san can help us with Urahara" Rukia concluded, thinking that it was a possible case of Hollowfication. "Let's get moving"

"Yes!" The three replied, while Renji helped him walk.

~~~~X~~~~

"Wow..." Ichigo and Nel stood in awe at the sight of the ancient chamber.

"There's water in here!" Nel noticed.

"How is this possible?" Ichigo wondered. "Let's get to the center"

They passed through the same hallway Pesche and Dondochakka had gone through to stop Anri.

The remains of machinery surprised them, especially Nel, who was dying to know what the Resurrección of her Fracciones were like.

As they went through the final golden gate, blue flames illuminated the room.

"Welcome... Kurosaki Ichigo" The gray haired Arrancar said.

For him, it was the first time meeting the presumed immortal Arrancar, but that wasn't a trait shared by his companion.

"Y-You...!" Nel muttered, widening her eyes.

"Hello, Nelliel" He chuckled nervously. "When I met your Fracción, they told me your name, but I wasn't sure it was you"

"Do they... Know each other?" Ichigo thought.

"When I saw such turquoise hair though, even in that tiny body of yours, I recognized you immediately. I never would've thought that we would meet again!"

"Quasimodo... You are... The Immortal Arrancar?!" She asked, still not believing.

"Wait... Quasimodo? Isn't your name supposed to be... Nageki?!" Ichigo was confused as well.

"Sorry, Nelliel, but Quasimodo is just one of many names I've had through the ages. I only decided to reveal my true name now, because the time has come..." He picked the Tesseract on top of the pedestal. "The king has returned" He threw the artifact at Ichigo, who easily picked it up.

"What the...?!" Ichigo suddenly travelled to his subconscious.

"Yo... King!" White greeted him.

"You're here again!" He looked disoriented, even though it was the same place as before. "Enough games, who are you?"

"I already told you! I'm your true Zanpakutou's spirit!"

"You know that's not it!" Ichigo was serious.

"Heh, you're no fun, King" He played with his black crown. "But... I think it's the right time to explain it all"

"Please" Ichigo calmed himself.

"Very well then..." He took a deep breath to explain. "You remember the Hollow that attacked your mother when your dad came to the Human World, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, you see... That Hollow was an experiment created by Aizen, made with many Shinigami Souls at its core. Aizen gave it the name White, and thought, that its ability to Hollowfy was due to the way in which it was made... But he was wrong"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"For starters, the Hollow he thought he had created already had a name... And you know it very well, Ichigo" The Hollow pointed at the moon and swinged his blade towards it, letting out a large black slash that engulfed everything in sight.

"Your name is... Mugetsu" He deduced.

"Correct, my King. And our sword's command is the reason for the phenomena Aizen saw..." He gave the sword to Ichigo.

"What is it?"

"Heheheh... Eager, aren't we? And it's not rare... Can you imagine what you look like in your Resurrección? Or what our sword looks like?"

Ichigo remembered the mark on Nel's Hollow Hole.

"Is it... A Scythe?"

"That answer is... Absolutely correct! Woo!" He cheered for him.

"But... My mark is not like Nel's lance. She said it was different"

"Because the mark of the Whole is not just the weapon shown in the first stage of _Resurrección_, or _Segunda Etapa _either... Much like the difference between a normal _Bankai_ and its fully matured state" Mugetsu explained. "The Scythe you see in your dear's chest is none other than your Final Weapon... The one known as... Death's Scythe"

"You... You can't be serious"

"And that's because, your aspect of death is the true absolute. More so than time or space, as there is only one undeniable truth in this mysterious World... Death. And that is because, there is something that we call life"

"That means...!" Ichigo realized.

"Exactly. Your aspect of death, is Life. Because there is life, there is something we can call death. There is no end without a beginning... And so with every beginning, there is always an ending"

"But... Why am I...? What am I?!"

"You, are Kurosaki Ichigo. That won't change, and you've said so yourself. I know what you mean though. Why are you, a human, the one to bear this wretched fate?"

"Yeah..."

"Some call it destiny, others, chance or luck. The thing is, that _I_, was born as the first Hollow to ever exist"

Ichigo widened his eyes at that revelation.

"My first memory, is waking up in the middle of the desert. With no need to eat, no place to go and, obviously, no reason to live.

I have no idea if the time I spent wondering about my own existence was long or short. All I had in my comoany was... Las Noches"

"Now that I think about it... All Arrancar have spirits inside their Zanpakutou?"

"Of course. Every Zanpakutou has a spirit, no matter who the user is. In the case of Arrancar, it is the personification of their primal nature, along with their aspect of Death. Most of them, are bestial creatures of dark intentions, but they are a challenge we all must overcome if we want to go beyond our limits"

"That means... Ulquiorra was able to defeat his Zanpakutou's spirit?"

"In a way, yes. But, defeating said creature is not so simple as to battle against it or kill it. Such a thing is impossible. In order to beat it, you must defy your aspect of death and go against your own nature"

"I see... So... What happened when you spoke to Las Noches?"

"I discovered an awful truth, although I already suspected it. I was alone. There was no other Hollow in all of Hueco Mundo...

My blade told me it was because I was the first to be born. The first and sole pure breed that came from Tsukoyomi, the ancient God of the night"

"So... The Heart of Tsukoyomi is..." Ichigo imagined.

"Exactly. The very Soul of him, although it is not the inly piece of him" He showed the blade of Las Noches to Ichigo. "And it was right here, in the mausoleum he built for himself. Las Noches guided me here, explaining the meaning of all this.

Tsukoyomi was very regretful of having fallen out with Amaterasu. He loved her, but she never wanted to see him again. Because of that reason, his offspring was marked forever. No Hollow would be truly complete unless it found what it missed in his own life..."

"Love..." Ichigo understood.

"The true power of Las Noches, is not an enormous force of destruction, but the ability to transform all incomplete beings into Hollows. Souls do not become Hollows as some kind of punishment or curse. They do so, because it is the only way they can truly grow. If a Hollow can find love, anyone can... That was what Tsukoyomi thought"

"Then... You used the power of Las Noches to create Hollows from incomplete Souls"

"Exactly. All those who in life couldn't find peace or happiness, turned into Hollows. As time passed, the empty world that had been given to me started brimming with life. However... These creatures were a lot more violent than I could have ever imagined"

"I can assume... You were born as an Arrancar"

"Correct. I was never a Gillian, or Adjuchas... Not even a Vasto Lorde. I was the only white being in all of Hueco Mundo, and the only one to have a broken mask.

That changed though. After more time, I noticed that Hollows could evolve by killing each other..."

"Falling into Jigoku..."

"Tch-Tch-Tch..." Mugetsu said no with his finger. "Wrong. Devoured Hollows simply became Souls or Humans, depending on the balance of Souls"

"But then how...?" Ichigo seemed confused.

"I'll get there in a sec, no need to rush" He replied. "I realized that only a handful of the Hollows that became Adjuchas advanced even further, and to be honest, I knew which ones I had to follow since they looked different from the moment they were Gillian.

Those who became Vasto Lorde, were not violent anymore. They were more... Like me. I decided to speak to those I found, and discovered that they felt as empty as I did.

It was in that very moment that Las Noches spoke to me once again, telling me that if I used the Heart of Tsukoyomi on a Vasto Lorde, it would be one step closer to becoming a Whole, which was just a theory I had formulated on my own.

The first one to become an Arrancar, was Nageki, who also happened to be the first Vasto Lorde I encountered. With that, I started my search for other Vasto Lordes scattered through all of Hueco Mundo.

After I had gathered five of them, I decided to create the Espada, in an intent to unify Hueco Mundo under my command and ideals. I had become, Gran Rey Cero..."

"So, that's how the legend was born..."

"Yes... We accomplished lots of things. Las Noches looked as peaceful and beautiful as some marvelous places on Earth and Soul Society. I'd dare say the central garden even matched the beauty of Takemagahara, but... In the end it wasn't to last"

"What happened?"

"Someone, thought that we were becoming dangerous. Too many Arrancar existed, and strong ones at that. As a result... Susano'o, the only God that can match Amaterasu in Takemagahara, commanded his Angels to exterminate us.

We fought bravely, but in the end... It was a massacre"

"No way..." Ichigo felt deep sorrow as he heard the conclusion.

"Honestly, I could've kept fighting... But, I didn't see a point after my dear Yukari had been taken from me..."

"Yukari? She was...?"

"Yeah. She was my only one. The one I became a Whole with..." Mugetsu covered his face with his hand as a tear ran down his face, which showed a forced grin that tried its best to swallow the pain.

"I'm... Really sorry"

"Don't worry" He regained his composure. "That's just how things went. And believe me, the Angels have not known greater fear, than the one they felt when they experienced my wrath. I didn't contain anything, I used all my Reiryoku in a single blow, and erased countless Angels from existence itself. Tenshi and Oni, are not like us. They don't live, they don't die. They either exist or not, you know what I'm sayin'?"

"Wow... I didn't know _that__"_ Ichigo replied. "But... How did you... Come back?" He was still oblivious about that.

"You see, Susano'o has a very dangerous Kamibuki, _Totsuka-No-Tsurugi, _which has the ability to seal any being in an alternate dimension for all eternity... I couldn't risk to end in such a way, so I used the heart of Tsukoyomi to remain sealed until the moment a suitable body was available, which was achieved thanks to Aizen. Also, I changed the style of names Hollows would have in the future"

"The n-names?! Why? How?"

"So that any survivors could recognize each other after the raid. Any Hollow born afterwards would have a non-Japanese name, and as such, it would be ignorant of the events that occurred before that tragic day"

"And... Is the Heart of Tsukoyomi capable of such thing?"

"It is the will of our maker, Kingy. It can do that and much more..."

"Okay then, you told me what happened and all, but, what does that have to do with Hollows falling into Jigoku when they are killed by another Hollow or... By themselves?"

"I suspect this was all a plan orchestrated by Yama to get one step closer to his revenge. There was no reason for the Gods to attack us, but there was something to win on his part... And he knew Susano'o would be more than happy to erase any trace of Tsukoyomi's legacy.

It was a win-win situation for the two, while it was all loss on our part. As a result, the two collaborated, and Yama got some sort of contract to imprison all Hollows, as long as they were not purified or erased, in Jigoku and feed his own troops with their energy"

"Yama... I don't even know him, but I hate his guts!" Ichigo frowned.

"Well, that's why we are working together. But... It won't be so easy"

"What do you mean? I know that already" He mocked Mugetsu with a chuckle.

"What I want to say is that his army is much greater. During the raid on Hueco Mundo, the Tenshi had help from four really powerful Oni. They are called, the Four Horsemen"

"So even besides the Princes, he still has another ace up his sleeve"

"And an ace of spades at that. All the remaining big shots have an army of their own, and since he couldn't get the Heart of Tsukoyomi, he will most likely send troops this way"

"Let me guess. You want me to reform the Espada"

"And with you as their leader if possible. Ichigo..." He became serious and called him by his name. "I know that I don't have the right to ask you to accomplish what I couldn't in my life... But, if you want to protect Nel, Rukia, Inoue, Chad, Ishida, Renji and everyone..."

"I understand. I will become Gran Rey Cero. As long as it's the right path, I will accept this position wholeheartedly" He replied sensibly.

Mugetsu smiled and let out a chuckle. "Thanks, Ichigo. You truly have the heart of a king"

"Now you're just exaggerating" He chuckled as well. "Well... Is there anything else worth knowing?"

"In the end, I didn't tell you how to release your Zanpakutou..."

"Oh, right!"

"But whatever... You'll know when you need it" He bid him farewell.

"Wait, Mugetsu!" His consciousness started coming back to the real world.

"I love this guy..." Mugetsu chuckled as he saved the image of Ichigo desperately yelling to know the command in his mind.

"I think it's amazing how you told him the truth so easily" Tensa Zangetsu said from behind a rock.

"Don't fret, buddy. I'm sure you'll be able to do the same when the moment comes..." Mugetsu comforted him.

"Since when are you so supportive?" He was impressed.

"Oh, don't be like that... In the end, we are both Zangetsu, remember?"

"Yeah... Thank you, Mugetsu"

"You're welcome...

...Yhwach"

~~~~X~~~~

**And here we are, finally getting some answers. Sorry for the delay, but I hope the wait was worth it.**

**I haven't got much to say about me, except that I finally got a MIDI controller and a sound interface, so I think I'll be spending more time on my music (which is fundamental given the fact that I want to be a composer for Konami), but don't worry, I tend to write late at night, so I always have that space for writing.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Excellent work! Loved this! Great work! And yea. I agree. I wanted to get Parasol Nel, but NO! KLab would most likely deny me!_**

**Reply: Good to hear. I actually didn't have a single friend that got her, or even see someone get her on the FB group (which is great, cause I would've killed him), so I think it was a case of collective misery. Not that I feel any better about it, but whatever... At least she sould be back next year in a character pack, so i guess I might as well be spending real money on her, like I did on Swimsuit Nel $**

**With that said, see you next chapter! Evhron out.**

**Glossary***

**_Kokuran__: _Black Orchid. I honestly had a hard time designing a Zanpakutou for Ashido, but I decided to make one with such an ability for plot-meeting reasons, not gonna lie.**

**_Kyuushuu: _Absorb in Japanese. It adds the enemy's Reishi to Ashido's Reiryoku.**


	21. The Great Revelation

"What...?" Ichigo was back in the chamber.

"Ichigo, what happened? You suddenly spaced out..." Nel said from a couple meters, holding her blade against Nageki's neck.

"Haha... I told you he was just taking a stroll in his subconscious" Nageki replied, a bit scared of Nel's impulsive behaviour.

"S... Sorry, Qua- I mean, Nageki. I just... I was worried that you had done something to Ichigo" She said embarrassed, putting her sword back in the sheath.

Ichigo walked to her and hugged her tenderly.

"I'm alright, Nel. After all... We promised we would only die together, didn't we?" He whispered in her ear, caressing her hair and kissing her skull.

"Ho...? Don't tell me you...!" Nageki seemed especially amazed about something.

"Huh?" She looked back at him, Ichigo releasing her from his embrace. Nageki had his fuchsia eyes fixated on Ichigo's Hollow Hole.

"You two... You are Wholes!" He said with a grin.

"Nel... Is he the one...?" Ichigo asked her.

"Yeah... He's the one that told me about the legend" She replied.

"Of course... You were Mugetsu's best friend. As expected, you know what a Whole is" Ichigo said.

"I knew I had made the right choice by asking you to come here" Nageki started saying. "Just like with her. I always knew Nelliel would play an important part in finding you"

"What... What do you mean?" Nel seemed to be the most confused one.

"I can imagine more or less how you two knew each other, but I would like to hear it from you, Nageki" Ichigo requested.

"No problem with that. If I recall correctly... I... Saved Nelliel from a group of fierce Adjuchas when she was in that stage as well. She was large for a chamois, being about the size of a gazelle, or a great Kudu, but in the end, she was small for an Adjuchas. It called my attention cause, these tend to be the strongest kind of Hollows, but even so, little could she do against a band of almost twenty powerful enemies"

"Yeah..." She agreed, remembering the feeling of helplessness.

"So I saved and healed her, just like Mugetsu and I did when we were searching for Vasto Lordes and other Hollows destined to become that. I decided to stick up with her for a while, after I realized that she was reluctant about fighting or consuming other Hollows"

She bit her lip in annoyance as she remembered that time.

"Nel..." Ichigo looked at her with a bit of pity and a hint of admiration.

"And, ever since I felt her Reiatsu, I knew... That she would find the one _I_ was waiting through all these millenia" Nageki revealed.

"Really?!" The two asked impressed.

"You see, when I saved you... I noticed your Reiatsu was very similar, not to say equal, to one I had felt before... One I never imagined I would feel again" He replied, remembering such scene. "Ichigo... Mugetsu told you about Yukari, right?"

"Y-Yeah... Why is that...?" He didn't seem to comprehend where he was getting at.

"Because Nelliel has exactly the same aura. In fact, now that she's an Arrancar, I can say with utmost certainty that she is Yukari's reincarnation"

Ichigo became mute.

"Wait... I don't seem to get this... Who is Yukari? And again, who is Mugetsu...?" She asked, not understanding anything.

"Mugetsu is the spirit insideLas Noches, Nel. My Zanpakutou's spirit, as well as Hueco Mundo's first king: Gran Rey Cero" Ichigo replied, still amazed. "And Yukari was... His Whole"

Nel gasped in reply, widening her eyes.

"I gotta say, Yukari had a mark in the shape of an 'X' above her nose instead of that red line, and green hair, not turquoise but... Close enough. Ichigo is far more distant in that, with orange hair, different from Mugetsu's white, but same in style. Your face is the vivid image of him though" Nageki chuckled. "I couldn't be any happier, knowing that Mugetsu's theory was correct. Indeed... There is nothing more powerful than love..."

"So... I was destined to meet Ichigo?" Nel concluded.

"You could say that" Nageki casually replied. "Though, I never really thought that would be the case..."

"Why do you say that?" Ichigo asked.

"Because... Yukari's soul was supposed to be imprisoned in Jigoku" Nageki replied, serious. "I... I imagine Mugetsu must've done something in order to save her from such fate but, I have no clue... Unless-"

"Unless what?" Nel was curious.

"Unless... Of course!"

"What is it?" The two Arrancar demanded an answer.

"The power of their bond! Wholes cannot be removed from the cycle for as long as their partner is alive in some way. This is because the very base of Wholes is the way they share their Reiryoku"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo inquired.

"Oh, you didn't know? Nelliel has complete access to your Reiryoku, as well as you do to hers. Your Reiryoku acts as if it was only one and the same, if you need it to act that way of course. To be honest... I don't know much about this since, Mugetsu and Yukari were the only Wholes I ever met but, thanks to you two, I can fill in the blanks!"

"Blanks? You speak as if you were..." Nel remembered Szayelaporro with disgust.

"...A scientist" Ichigo thought of Mayuri.

"Well... In my time, my work was known as alchemy, but yeah, today I would be what you call a scientist. Mugetsu was always helping me with my experiments and inventions. I created this very labyrinth not only to protect the Heart of Tsukoyomi, but to serve as an aqueduct for the palace of Las Noches. Thanks to that, we had an outstanding quality of life"

"Right, your inventions! That's how you became immortal!" Nel realized.

"Though, I still can't imagine how..." Ichigo commented.

"Well, that's more like, yes and no. While I did create something that gives me eternal life, such a thing is only possible thanks to my Zanpakutou's ability..." He said, drawing it out. "Transform... _Alquimista"_

The two were expecting his body to go through a metamorphosis, but the only thing that happened was that his blade disappeared.

"Wait... Did you really release your sword?" Nel couldn't believe it.

"Yep, I did. Amazing isn't it?"

"I mean... It _is_ amazing that you didn't change one bit" Ichigo pointed out.

"Are you sure about that?" Nageki smirked, and his whole body started glowing.

"What the...?" The two beheld as the Arrancar made his demonstration.

"Or better, try to hit me, Ichigo"

"Okay..." Ichigo decided to punch him, just not so hard.

As soon as his fist came in contact with Nageki's chest, his whole body became harder than steel. It was not Hierro, his body had become something else.

"What is this?!" Ichigo asked impressed.

"Heheh! That's my Zanpakutou's ability! I gain total control over the atomical composition of my body. I can become anything and turn anything I touch into something else, as long as it's made of atoms, of course. I cannot manipulate waves, but there's no limits with particles, though it's not easy. Gases and liquids give a lot more trouble than solids, but I've been alive for such a long time that it's not hard anymore, though Plasma is still complicated... In my first release of course"

"Wow... That sure is a handful ability" Ichigo commented.

"And my powers allow me to create all kinds of things. For example, the Philosopher's Stone" He got a crimson red crystal out of his pocket. "With this, I make the elixir of eternal life... God, it was a real pain to create"

"Yeah, I believe it must be" Nel agreed, not even imagining the amount of calculations Nageki had to do before being able to create such a mythical object.

"But, it has served its purpose well..." Nageki said, encircling the rock with blue flames that came from his hand.

"Wait, what are you...?" Ichigo didn't see it coming.

"I'm destroying it of course! Man, if you had an idea of what it is to live through eras in solitude... I'm more than bored of this life! I just wanna die" He admitted, just as the rock was melting down. "My only purpose was confirming that Mugetsu's reincarnation had showed up. With you here, my job is done"

"So... You're just gonna die now?" Nel asked, still not believing the way in which he simply ended it all.

"Don't worry, I'll be alive for about a month, or so. I'll be able to explain anything you need about the Heart of Tsukoyomi and the lost history of Hueco Mundo, if you're interested, of course, all while I finish my studies about the Wholes"

"I... Don't know what to say" Ichigo said awkwardly.

"Then don't say anything... It's not like I'm your friend or someone close you'd cry over when his time's come..." He carelessly replied.

"Maybe not... But you did save my life. It's not like we're complete strangers either" Nel made clear.

"Believe me, Nelliel. You don't know anything about me, and it's better that way. I was just a guardian, and with my role fulfilled, I can finally leave this world. Hollows have long lives, but not eternal. I'll probably be reborn as a Shinigami or human anyway, as dying of old age also counts as soul cleansing..." He digressed.

"If you say so..." Ichigo wouldn't argue. "Well, Nel and I should go back to the palace and tell everyone what we found out. Are you coming?"

"You will be taking the Heart of Tsukoyomi, so yes" He accepted. "Although, Mugetsu knows all about it. I could just die right now and it would be the same honestly"

"In any case, we'd like you to tell us all you know about... Well... _Us"_ Nel referred to their species. "After all this time, I imagine there's no one better in the field"

"That _is_ true..." He lazily yawned. "So I guess I still have something in my 'To do' list"

"Also... Now that I think about it, why didn't Yama come for this thing in person? I bet he's powerful enough" Ichigo asked.

"Because no God can enter this place. It has a spell on it, casted by Tsukoyomi himself" Nageki answered. "That's why he decided to send someone after it, and he'll try to do it again for sure"

"Yeah... Mugetsu said so as well" Ichigo replied.

"But don't worry. I'll teach you how to use the artifact correctly, so that you can reform the Espada in no time" Nageki started exiting the room on his own. "As long as you have it, I'm sure it will be well protected"

"Thank you, Nageki" Ichigo replied.

"Wait, Ichigo... That means you'll...!" Nel knew where everything was going.

"Yes, Nel. I've decided to become king of Hueco Mundo" He replied. "I don't think Harribel will like it, but it is what Mugetsu asked me to do"

"Ah, you mean that blonde Arrancar. Yeah, she demanded answers from me, saying she was the current leader or something, but I didn't care. My only ruler is Mugetsu, that won't ever change" Nageki replied determined.

"So... I'll become... Queen?" Nel seemed a bit unsure, troubled even, as if that thought wasn't a positive thing.

"Well, in practical terms... You _are_ his wife" Nageki replied instead of Ichigo.

"Wife..." Ichigo felt so strange but so happy at the same time. He still thought that he was young, for such an important milestone to take place, but he understood that he wasn't a human anymore. In the end, as a Hollow, becoming a Whole was equal, if not more compromising, than being married.

"Hm... I don't know if I'm ready for this... Cause... I'm not the leading type you know?" Nel seemed flustered about the whole deal.

"Don't worry, Nel. You don't have to do anything if you don't feel prepared. All I'm gonna ask you is to help me look for Vasto Lordes. And don't think for one second that I'll force anyone to become part of my army. I would be just like Aizen, and I'd rather die than be like him"

"I know you wouldn't do such thing" She sweetly replied, feeling secure once more.

"So, let's go. There's a lot we have to do" Ichigo concluded.

~~~~X~~~~

"So... What did you want to discuss with me?" Harribel asked Ulquiorra, sitting on the head of the Espada table, in front of him and Orihime.

"I know you must've been a great leader these past weeks..." He started saying. "But mark my words, you will never be able to unify Hueco Mundo, because you're not destined to the throne"

"Hm? So it's about that" She calmly replied. "To tell the truth, I don't care about being a Queen or ruling over our world, but I can't simply hand it over to Ichigo because you _believe_ he is Gran Rey Cero's second coming"

"I imagined you'd say something like that, even after I explained the single reason I did all of this" Ulquiorra sighed.

"I never proclaimed to be the Queen of Hueco Mundo, it just so happened that the remaining Arrancar followed me as I was the strongest that remained. I did my best because of that, and no one questions my position or has been against any of my actions, with the exception of Yammy, of course, but even Grimmjow ended up supporting me in his own way because he knows that I'm capable of making the right decisions"

"And I couldn't agree more" Ulquiorra said coldly. "However... This is not a peaceful time where we can just sit idly and slowly reconstruct Las Noches. We're at war, Harribel, and the only measure that can ensure a brighter future for our kind is the restoration of the Espada"

"Oh really? And where are we gonna find more Arrancar with such ability? I have no clue and I'm pretty sure Ichigo has even less" Harribel dismissed his idea.

"You don't understand what Ichigo's capable of now. In fact, not even _he_ does. But right now, he must be getting an idea of the bigger picture. He's destined for this"

"And we go back to this thing of destiny..." Harribel rolled her eyes. "Look, if I have a single proof of such thing, I won't have any problem handing the throne to him, and I'll become an Espada once again. But in this moment, without any significant proof... I'm sorry, but what you're saying is just nonsense, Ulquiorra"

"Don't worry. Everything will be clear, once he returns" Ulquiorra stood up. "Inoue, let's go find a room where you can stay"

"Right. Though, could it be in the opposite tower from the one I was last time?" She requested. "I don't... I don't have good memories of that place..." She said with a hint of sadness.

"I understand. Though the palace looks very similar overall, but I'll see what I can do. Bye, Harribel"

"Bye..." She didn't expect him to be so polite, but was even more impressed that he was so worried about Orihime. "He sure has changed... Is it because of that girl?" She thought as the two left the room.

~~~~X~~~~

"So this is just like the Hogyoku in that sense..." Ichigo said, looking at the tesseract. "I can turn Adjuchas and Vasto Lordes into Arrancar by making this thing react with my Reiatsu"

"I don't know what that is, but by your description I can confirm it is similar" Nageki replied. "Though it has many other functions, some of a colossal magnitude. You have to think that this artifact is meant to _define_ the very life of Hollows"

"Yeah... Mugetsu said that he changed the type of names Hollows were born with after the massacre... That's no minimal change" Ichigo remembered.

"I had no idea such an event had occurred. Poor Mugetsu..." Nel remembered the part where he lost his wife. "*snif* I can't imagine losing Ichigo like that" She was about to cry.

"Don't think about that, Nel. I won't allow such a thing to ever happen again... Though I would like to question Arikado about it when I have the chance" Ichigo replied.

"Look, Ichigo, that's Rukia and the others!" Nel said as they got to the entrance of Las Noches. "Renji is carrying someone though... Is someone wounded?"

"Let's see for ourselves" He sprinted towards his friends and appeared in a flash. "Rukia, Renji!"

"Ichigo!" The two said.

"Hey, they said you knew about this, you must help him!" Apacci spouted.

"Huh? About what? What's going on?" He didn't understand. "Is that... Ashido?!" He noticed that the man Renji was carrying had a white mass covering his face, slowly shaping into a horned skull.

"Yeah... Ashido-san's Zanpakutou had the ability to absorb other souls' Reishi and... He absorbed a lot of Ayon's" Sung-Sun explained.

"Ayon is a Hollow we can summon, kinda like an Adjuchas, but strong as an Espada" Mila Rose explained.

"I see... So he's suffering the symptoms of Hollowfication" Ichigo realized.

"We thought of taking him to Urahara to-" Renji said.

"Urahara won't be able to save him. The only reason he was able to help the Vizards was because he had the Hogyoku, and that is not an option anymore" Ichigo retorted.

"So what do we do?!" Rukia asked, freaking out.

Nageki and Nel arrived, which reminded him of the single possibility he had.

"Hey, Rukia... Do you think Ashido would prefer dying rather than becoming what he swore to destroy?"

"Eh...? What kind of question is that? What's going on, Ichigo?!" She became even more upset.

"You see... I can do something, but Ashido won't go back to being a Shinigami..." He tried to explain.

"...He'll become an Arrancar" Nel finished the sentence, as Ichigo seemed troubled by it.

"And who cares?! Just save him!" The Tres Bestias shouted.

"Geez! What's with these girls?" Renji muttered to himself as he left Ashido's shivering body in the sand.

"Well, let's see if this thing works like Nageki says..." Ichigo thought, pointing the tesseract at Ashido and releasing his Reiatsu.

"Grraaahhh..." Ashido growled.

The Heart of Tsukoyomi shined as it reflected Ichigo's will on Ashido's being, accelerating the process of Hollowfication at a rate that he surpassed the stage of Vasto Lorde in a matter of seconds.

Ashido had grown a gazelle like skull, identical to the one he used to carry as memento of his last deceased friend. His skin, remained peach coloured. Overall, he didn't change much, but his mask hadn't been shattered yet.

"C'mon..." Ichigo thought, worried that he might have made a mistake.

To his relief, the long skull was finally torn away.

"Ichigo... You did it!" Rukia cheered for him. "But, didn't you say he would become an Arrancar?" She asked, as there was no apparent change, until she noticed his lower chest. Right in his stomach's mouth, the black void was staring right into her Soul. "Oh... But, he... He's alive" She said, trying to make him feel better.

"I guess... Though I still wonder if I made the right choice. In his eyes, he might become unhappy because of this" He replied, pensive.

"It was this or entirely losing himself. He could have died" Rukia assured, remembering a much more tragic story.

"That's true. Well, I hope he can take it" He sighed.

"You did the right thing, Ichigo. Don't be so hard on yourself" Nel sweetly said as she smiled at him.

"For now, let's take Ashido-san to a room in Las Noches. I... I guess he'll feel more at ease" Sung-Sun proposed.

"Yeah, we can take care of him. That way he'll get used to us and... Well, himself" Apacci added.

"Then we can help him train his Hollow abilities! I'm sure that will help!" Mila Rose grabbed his body bridal style, as he was a bit shorter than her.

"Just make sure you don't do anything rash or that might shock him. He hunted Hollows his whole life. Realizing he's become one out of the blue might be... Devastating" Rukia told them worried. "So... Do your best to make him see that his new life can be just as enjoyable, if not more than the one he had before"

"Yes!" The three replied in unison, as determined as they could be, and then entered the palace.

"Hmph... I guess you DID discover something by going there" Renji told Ichigo.

"Yes. A lot, in fact" He replied, still catching up with all the things he'd learned. "I must speak to Harribel about this"

"Yeah. There are many things that will interest her" Nel agreed.

"And... I have to tell her about my decision" Ichigo added.

"What do you mean?" Rukia looked at her.

"Come with me. There is something I must tell you all, but I'd rather explain it to everyone in one go. For that, I need you to go search for Inoue and... Ulquiorra" Ichigo told them.

"And don't forget Pesche and Dondochakka. They said that they would stay at the palace while we did our business" Nel reminded him. "I'd do it myself, but I wanted to have a little talk with Tier while everyone is busy..."

"Okay, I'll go look for those two. Rukia can you...?" Renji accepted.

"Yeah. I'll search for Inoue and... Her friend" She was still distrustful of him.

"Thank you. We'll meet at the Throne Room" Ichigo concluded. "I'll go look for Grimmjow. He might be a pain, but he's still part of the group"

They nodded accordingly.

Ichigo concentrated for a moment, in order to feel the Sexta's Reiatsu. As soon as he had a glimpse of it, not so far from them, he rushed through the desert.

Sitting in a rock, the Espada was looking at the horizon with a bothered expression.

"Hey, Grimmjow" Ichigo called his attention, much to his surprise, as he didn't sense him coming.

"What?" He asked in reply, keeping his composure.

"I went to the ruins. I discovered many things that-"

"I don't care" Grimmjow muttered in reply, annoyed as he spat on the sand.

"Sorry, but I need to tell everyone about it, and that includes you. After all, you ARE one of the remaining Espada, and as expected, quite strong. I don't doubt that"

"As if. That shit stopped existing the moment Aizen left this place" He retorted. "And besides... Not nearly as powerful as Ulquiorra, you said so yourself" He was clearly pissed.

"I just... I had to speak your language, ok?" Ichigo admitted. "Trust me, I know how you feel... But at this point, the one thing we don't need is to get more enemies"

"The problem is, that guy is already our enemy. He always has been!" Grimmjow spat. "Ever since I was an Espada, I was sick of his expression. It wasn't like he believed himself to be superior or somethin', his eyes just seemed to find everything he saw inherently worthless, probably with the exception of Aizen... But that only proves we can't possibly trust him... There must be something behind those eyes!"

"*sigh* That's the thing. I've given it a lot of thought, Grimmjow, really... But, I can't seem to grasp a reason we shouldn't believe his word. Ulquiorra had the chance to kill us all and yet... He didn't even try. As strange as it is, I could feel how he was indeed worried about me when I fell unconscious. He even took Nel in his arms... I didn't tell him but, yeah, I noticed that, and I'm really grateful"

"Tch... All you care about is that girl... If I was strong like you I would-"

"...Be king of Hueco Mundo. I know..." Ichigo sighed. "And that's exactly what I'm getting at here. For some reason, it was my destiny all along"

"What do you mean?"

"I will never be THE Gran Rey Cero, as I will never truly be Mugetsu. I am Kurosaki Ichigo, and as such, I'll keep doing things my way, and use this power to protect those I love. But, the power I've been given also comes with a price, something I must give in return" He looked at the white moon above it all. "I'm sorry, Grimmjow, but I must become King of Hueco Mundo. And not just any king. At the very least, I must live up to the name of Gran Rey Cero. I will unite Hueco Mundo, once and for all"

Grimmjow was astonished at first, but once he regained his composure, he grinned.

"Hmph, whatever happened in those ruins... It has changed you completely"

"I've told you enough. If you wanna hear the reason behind my resolve, come with me" He started walking back to Las Noches.

"*sigh* Guess I don't have much of a choice" Grimmjow decided to follow him as he put his hands in his pockets.

About thirty minutes later, everyone was present in the appointed location, where Nel and Harribel were concluding their conversation.

"I... See..." Harribel muttered, blushing.

"So, if you have anyone special in mind..." Nel already suspected of Grimmjow after all the time they had spent together. "...I assure you, Harri" She giggled, blushing a little as well. "There's nothing greater in this world, than this feeling..." She put her hand the center of her chest, feeling how her and Ichigo's heart were beating as one.

Ichigo looked at her and chuckled, as he understood what they had been talking about. Right after, he took a deep breath and decided to explain everything.

The only ones missing were the Tres Bestias, as they were waiting for Ashido to wake up. The rest were sitting in the Espada's table.

"It seems everyone's here, so I'll begin" He said with a serious tone. "Nageki is in fact an immortal Arrancar, who has guarded this artifact" He put the tesseract on the table. "The Heart of Tsukoyomi, for all this millenia, or maybe more. This dubious object has many uses, which I have yet to learn, but its most basic use is just like the Hogyoku's.

It can turn Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde level Hollows into Arrancar, and... Apparently, it can change Hollowfied Shinigami into Arrancar as well. Did your Fracciones tell you, Harribel?"

"I overheard them freaking out about something, but I didn't really pay attention. Now that I hear your testimony, I must admit that I am perplexed by such information" She replied.

"We have yet to see how Ashido will take this, but we must do our best for him to accept his condition under good terms. He was some kind of lonely hermit, a Hollow Hunter in the Forest of Menos, and after a couple hundreds of years, it might be tremendously difficult for him to see what he has become"

"I understand" Harribel nodded.

"Continuing with the main topic, I was also able to communicate with my Hollow Zanpakutou's spirit. Don't worry, Inoue, Rukia... He's not like he used to be" He smiled.

"So he is..." Rukia muttered.

"Yes, the Hollow inside me. Now that I've become a Hollow myself, it seems he changed into his true self or something of sorts. He's still ironic, as that's just his personality, but I can assure you, he's not evil at all" He explained.

"That's great news..." Orihime said with relief.

"More importantly... What's your Zanpakutou's name?" Grimmjow asked him.

As soon as that question was formulated, Ulquiorra seemed to smile a bit, while Nel became a bit tense, not knowing how her fellow Arrancar would react.

"Heh, I knew it would come to this eventually..." He closed his eyes. "My blade's name is none other than..." He opened them again. "_Las Noches"_

Everyone that didn't know looked at him in shock.

"_Las_... _Noches_..." Harribel repeated, unable to process it.

"What in the world...?" Grimmjow expressed his disbelief as well.

"The reason behind this, is that the Hollow that used to exist within my body is none other than Mugetsu, the first Hollow to ever exist, as well as... The one known as Gran Rey Cero"

Harribel realized that Ulquiorra's words did not come out of the blue or some nonsensical dream. His vision was correct. Ichigo was the successor of Gran Rey Cero.

"So, what does this mean, Ichigo?" Rukia asked, although she already had a glimpse of what the answer would be.

"I... I spoke with him, and I've decided that... I _want_ to become king of Hueco Mundo. I want to make this world a better place, as well as protect all those I care for"

"I understand" Harribel replied, much to everyone's surprise, including Ichigo. "However... I would like to know what your plans would be, before leaving you in charge"

"Mugetsu, my Zanpakutou's spirit, has informed me that there is yet another group of Oni dangerous enough to us all. The 'Four Horsemen' as he said, are even stronger than the Dukes, so I believe the right course of action would be reforming the Espada in order to protect both Hueco Mundo, and the other realms as well. The Oni's objectives are clearly a threat to us all"

"Okay... Then, how are we supposed to find more Espada?" The Queen asked.

"Hueco Mundo... Is much larger than any of us can picture. With that in mind, I'm pretty sure that there must be Vasto Lordes with enough potential somewhere. That aside, we already have at least five Espada"

"Five?" Harribel asked, interested in his reply.

"Espada Cuatro is clearly Grimmjow. You would be Tercera, since I can feel you're still stronger than him"

Grimmjow frowned a bit when he heard that, but didn't say anything.

"Dos Espada is, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. Just like you, she's now able to go into _Segunda Etapa_, but there's more... As we became Wholes, Nel's Reiryoku and mine can act like one and the same..."

"I have no doubt about how strong that makes her..." Harribel replied comprehensively.

"To tell the truth, I know that you're not all going to be happy with this decission, but to me, it's impossible to think of anyone else in this position" Ichigo started saying. "Primera Espada is... Ulquiorra, the only one able to go into _Etapa Final"_

"Tch..." Grimmjow did not ommit his reaction this time.

"Thank you, Ichigo-sama"

"Finally... I, will be Cero Espada, though I don't want any formalities. I am your friend, so treat me as such. Becoming king doesn't mean that I want you all kneeling before me in the throne while you do all the work... On the contrary, I'll go search for Vasto Lordes just like you, and fight in the frontline if it's ever necessary" Ichigo left clear.

"I would expect no less..." Harribel commented.

"To conclude, I know that I've just become an Arrancar, and of course, I don't know the people here as well as you do, but I want to meet them all and do my best as both a ruler and a friend of you all. If possible, I would like to create a more amicable relationship with Soul Society, even if that seems impossible in this current moment. What do you say, Harribel? I... I don't mean to overthrow you or anything. I just... I just wanna do what I think is right"

Everyone was anxious to hear the current Queen's verdict.

"To be honest, I've always been a believer of the idea that only those chosen by fate become Vasto Lorde. In the same way, after seeing how all these signs converge... I can't deny that destiny is involved in all the events that lead to you becoming all you are today" She replied, stoic. "I would like to communicate the change in administration to all the Arrancar in Las Noches, as it would be a transparent measure and it would help in making your image more familiar to them... However" She closed her eyes in some kind of painful way. "The only way they will truly understand... Is if you give a demonstration of your absolute power. We need to fight, Ichigo"

"But, Harri, is that really necessary?" Nel asked worried.

"It is, Nel-sama. I know my people. It's the only way"

"Then I'll join you" Grimmjow said. "I want to see for myself what kind of monster Ichigo has become"

"Grimmjow, that wouldn't be precisely a fair fight" She retorted, denying his idea. "While it is true that Ichigo must surpass both of us, it wouldn't seem right for it to be two on one"

"I don't care. I'll just join in after you are defeated, if that's what bothers you" He said.

"Fine... I know you will do whatever you want either way, so I won't try to change your mind" Harribel sighed.

"Very well then... I'm not really comfortable with the idea, but you are the one that knows better" Ichigo finished. "I'll show all of Las Noches, the power of Gran Rey Cero"

~~~~X~~~~

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Awesome chapter! Loved the ending of this chapter! I KNEW you'd have plans for Ichigo's other Zanpakutō: Quincy! Zangetsu. Speaking of, I was able to get that Zangetsu thanks to completing Senkaimon Quests! Whoop!_**

**_But I digress. This was a good read. I liked how Neliel gave Ichigo a literal horseback ride and also how Ashido might become a Vizard due to absorbing so much Hollow Reishi... Let's just hope he doesn't become a casualty like Kaien ended up as. I doubt Rukia could handle that._**

**_Also, the Tres Bestias have a crush it seems! Lol._**

**Reply: Of course I had plans for him. I hate leaving stuff unfinished, and even more, plot holes... So I am thinking of a way for all the Quincy stuff to make sense in this plot.**

**Ashido survived, so kudos for him, haha, although it won't be easy for him to incorporate into the Hollow world, that's for sure. I always thought he looked a bit like Ayon with his mask and fur, so I thought, 'why not make the Tres Bestias like him in a more... Special way?'**

**Before ending this Chapter, I can't simply ommit the fact that it's 31st of October! (Or at least while I'm writing this) So...**

~~~~X~~~~

Hell-O-Ween Fest

A week before Halloween night.

"I would like to communicate the change in administration to all the Arrancar in Las Noches, as it would be a transparent measure and it would help in making your image more familiar to them... However" She closed her eyes in some kind of painful way. "The only way they will truly understand... Is if you give a demonstration of your absolute power. You must..."

"Yeah, I will have to fight you-"

"What? Of course not. You must hold a concert for all of Las Noches!" Harribel replied. "I play bass, and... I can sing, though it is a bit embarrassing"

"Wait a minute, so I must... Give them a good show ro something?" Ichigo asked in shock.

"Not just good, Ichigo. You must rock the crowd!" Nel corrected him.

"But... How am I supposed to...?"

"What are you saying? You are a amazing! You beat Aizen in a guitar duel, don't you remember?" Rukia 'reminded' him.

"Ah, yeah... Wait, WHAT?"

"Yes, Ichigo! You and your seven strings of wonder never fail..." Renji added.

"Guys, I honestly don't know how to play!"

"Yeah, right... And that guitar you got hanging on your back is just for show isn't it?" Grimmjow told him. "I'll never forget when we duelled in that desert venue. I thought my drumming would make you lose tempo but... Well, it was not enough"

"Huh?" He grabbed the object he was carrying on his back. It was true, it was a guitar case.

"That's true, Ichigo, and Grimmjow is known as the 'Drum Demon' for a reason" Nel added. "And... You taught me how to play guitar so I know about your abilities better than anyone" She blushed.

"*sigh* So... We'll play as a band or...?" He decided to go with the flow. "I'm already in these weird dreams I have from time to time, so I'll just go with the flow and see where it gets me" He thought

"Yeah, I think it would be the best way to show Hueco Mundo what you're made of" Harribel replied. "Hell-O-Ween Fest is coming up, so it's your moment to shine"

"Ichigo-sama, please allow me to participate" Ulquiorra requested. "Aside from the guitar, I can also play the piano and the violin and... Well, I actually wrote a song as well"

"Do as you wish, Ulquiorra" He shortly answered. "And... Then we have the other thing. What are we going to play?" Ichigo asked.

"I have a selection of songs that are popular in Hueco Mundo. I wrote a pair of them myself, actually" Harribel gave a list to Ichigo.

It read: _"Ichirin no Hana", "D-TecnoLife", "Change", "Ranbu no Melo..."_

"WHAT THE?! Hey... I feel like know these songs for some reason (and I'm pretty sure none of these are yours). Actually, won't we get in trouble for copyright infringement or...?" Ichigo said.

"Copyright? Don't be ridiculous, Ichigo. These were all written by a member of the band, with one exception" Rukia replied. "Nel and you wrote _'Ichirin no Hana',_ Harribel-san wrote _'Change'_ and _'Ranbu no Melody'_, though Gin used to sing in that one..."

"Guess Ichigo will have to sing there..."

"Finally, _'D-TecnoLife' _was written by Hisagi-san, but I'm sure he won't have a problem with you using it" Rukia concluded.

"I would like you to add another song by yourself though" Harribel told him. "If the palace's Arrancar like it, I will give the throne to you"

"A song...? Made by me?!" He was more astonished with every second that passed.

"Yeah! It's a great idea!" Nel cheered. "Ichigo, you HAVE to play Gianizm Hachi!"

"Eh...?"

"That way they'll especially hear your clean singing, as I sing most of'Ichirin no Hana'..."She explained, as if it was the most natural thing to do.

"So... Will we play my song as well?" Ulquiorra muttered, but was ignored.

"We shall start practicing tomorrow" Harribel said. "There is an auditorium in the palace, perfect for that task. I'll tell Rudbornn to show you the way"

"Yay! I can't wait to see the show!" Orihime clapped her hands.

"Oh gosh... I wish I wake up before I have to play anything" Ichigo thought worried.

Such thing did not happen, but the next day, he was amused to discover a really interesting thing.

"Let's start with 'Ichirin no Hana'!" Nel proposed.

"Okay... I gave it a couple listens yesterday so it won't be a problem" Harribel replied.

"So did I. Let's do this!" Grimmjow said as well.

"Let's go, Ichigo!" Nel got hold of a beautiful headless green guitar with 24 frets.

"Right..." Ichigo was nervously holding his seven string axe. It was also a 24 fretted piece, its finish being a white paint base with a black circle in the middle, resembling his Hollow Hole.

Grimmjow marked the time with his drumsticks, each one sounding slower to Ichigo, who didn't have any idea of what he was supposed to do.

As soon as the final beat sounded, Ichigo moved his hands, hoping for the best.

His hands seemed to move by themselves as they started the iconic tapping of the intro to 'his' song.

"What the-?!" He thought, unable to comprehend how such a miracle ocurred.

And not only did he play the song, he also sang his parts with complete ease, like he had always done so.

He was also surprised that Nel sang such a dark themed song, but for some reason, it suited her incredibly well.

"I have nothing to say, Ichigo. That was great" Harribel complimented, putting her blue bass back in its bag after the whole session of practice. "The show will be a complete success"

"Yeah, it sounded amazing!" He still couldn't believe it.

"Of course, you were playing after all" Nel complimented.

"And you are amazing as well, Nel" He replied.

"I learned from the best" She kissed him.

"Maybe, we can do this after all" He thought happily.

Ulquiorra only did promotion in the end, as none of the songs featured any of the instruments he played, and even though he was also able to play guitar, Nel and Ichigo already took care of that.

Orihime, Renji and Rukia were in charge of planning and decoration for the event. Rudbornn and the other Arrancar that served the Espadas directly, helped in that matter and did a pretty good job.

A week later, the venue was ready.

Pumpkins, bats and ghosts were all over the place, and Arrancar and even many Adjuchas were in the crowd, ready for the show that was about to take place.

Out of a cloud of bats, Harribel appeared in the stage, received by screams of euphoria.

She walked to her microphone, held by a mic stand.

"Great eternal night, Las Noches! Today, I will play along Kurosaki Ichigo to decide the future of the throne, so mark my words, this will be a show you won't ever forget"

The cheers were even greater as she finished with such a strong declaration.

Next thing, lights illuminated the other three as they appeared on the stage, all close to a mic stand for their respective songs.

The songs were played in the same order as the list Harribel had given them.

As a result, they were only in the first track and, as Ichigo screamed his part and played his Solo, the Arrancar had no problem creating a brutal mosh pit. It was immediate success.

The next songs were also interesting for different reasons. The crowd sang along with 'D-TecnoLife', showing how popular was Shuhei in Hueco Mundo. Ichigo sang the lyrics. On 'Change', Nel and Harribel did a vocal duo that left the crowd in ecstasy, just like Ichigo did with his cover of Gin's singing.

In the end, it all came to Gianizm Hachi.

"Let's do it, Ichi!" Nel told him eager to play his song.

"Yeah!"

Despite the crowd not knowing the song, everyone was moving relentless, and even by the final chorus, everyone was singing along and bats were flying all over the place, content with the show.

However, the hype was so high that by the end of the song, everyone was asking for more.

"ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!" They shouted.

"What are we gonna do?" Ichigo asked his friends.

"I... Don't know" Harribel admitted. "Unless..."

"Ichigo-sama, I brought my keyboard and violin" Ulquiorra appeared on stage out of nowhere.

"Ulquiorra! I didn't think you'd come to our aid after putting you aside"

"I know it wasn't intentional, so I don't have anything against you or the others. And... You all learned my song after all"

"What? You too?" Ichigo asked the others.

"Yeah..." Grimmjow said pissed.

"He kinda forced me to" Nel replied with a bothered expression.

"He made me listen to it and I thought it was really good so... Yes, I learned it" Harribel answered more positively.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go"

A new spot of light appeared on stage for Ulquiorra, who would play the keyboard and violin in his own creation.

The crowd was surprised at first, but a large shout was sign that everyone was ready for more.

The band started playing. It was an ominous melody, followed by powerful chords, all while the new Primera Espada played the four strings of his violin.

With the intro finished, Ulquiorra grabbed his microphone, and said the words that started the song once and for all:

"Kokoro wo korose...!"

Ichigo woke up from the dream in a king size bed along Nel, the song of Ulquiorra still resonating in his head.

"So it was a dream after all... Well, nothing made sense anyway, but, all in all it was a nice dream I guess... Hell-O-Ween Fest..." He chuckled. "Maybe, once this is all over I could ask Rose to teach me a bit of guitar..." He smiled as he looked at the moon.

* * *

**Now, it has truly finished. With this Chapter, the opening song changes from Gianizm Hachi to... Tentei by Asaki. I recommend you give it a listen, in case you wonder what it sounds like... It's more dark themed and even has a 2 min. version, so I thought it fits perfectly.**

**Happy Halloween to every and each one of you! You don't know how happy it makes me that you read my fic, and I'll continue to do my best to continue this story!**

**Evhron out... With pumpkins, bats and skulls.**

**PD: "Kokoro wo korose" means literally "Kill your heart". Edgy, but cool.**


	22. Your Loss

That same night, Ichigo tried his best to enter his dreams, but it seemed to be an impossible task, despite having a comfortable bed, as well as his beloved Nel sleeping to his right.

He wore his Shihakusho's pants and left his upper part uncovered, while Nel wore a two piece white attire, similar to the Espada clothing. It was originally a long vest, but she cut it to make it more comfortable, leaving just an upper piece that covered from her ribcage to her collar, and a lower one that was like a skirt, similar to the one left when her green clothes were torn off by her transformation.

"Dammit..." He sighed, sitting by the side of the bed, with his head between his hands.

Harribel got them a big room, probably the one Aizen used to have for himself he theorized, though she would not say if that was the case. She seemed to have been the most hurt by Aizen's betrayal out of all the Arrancar, not even wanting to mention his name. Still, Ichigo imagined that anything he used had been probably obliterated by the woman, so the furniture they had in the room was probably new.

He gazed at the moon, looking for answers in that wicked hour. He didn't even consider fighting a woman seriously. Up until that point, the only girls he had faced in battle had been Hiyori and Lisa, and even then, it had only been training, not a serious fight.

He didn't feel comfortable with that idea, but at the same time, it was Harribel the one who said it was the only possible way.

To him, it was a bother having to fight in the first place. He considered all Espada, possibly with the exception of Ulquiorra, to be his friends to some degree.

"What a drag..." He muttered as he let his arms down, looking at his two Zanpakutous.

"Ichi...?" Nel called his name with one eye open. "You can't sleep?"

"I'm just a bit... Overwhelmed by this" He was frank. "Everything has happened so fast, and my mind hasn't really been able to catch up. I try not to worry too much about it all but... There is a limit"

"Ichigo..." She put her arms around his chest and rested her head on one of his shoulders. "I can't imagine how hard it must be for you, but don't let it get to you... You're doing the best you can, with everything" She softly kissed his cheek.

"Thanks Nel... I... I really wish I could be a bit stronger, you know, to simply go through this with the same attitude you guys have" He referred to the Espada.

"You might have become an Arrancar, but your mind is still the one of a human. You never had to go through the traumatic experience of growing up as a Hollow, and I couldn't be happier about that..." She explained. "However, it's to be expected that your mind is weaker in that sense. Life here makes you a lot colder towards the world around you, which is not a problem if you live of killing each other, though it was never something I enjoyed..."

"I know..." He held her hand warmly.

"When I was an Espada... I believe I was a lot colder than when we met. All those years fooling around with Pesche and Dondochakka made me a lot softer, and I wouldn't want it another way" She laughed a bit, remembering all the funny stuff she did as a kid. "Just take your time, and don't try to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Even if you are destined to lead us, that doesn't mean you have to become someone different from who you already are"

He nodded, understanding her words.

"And don't wish for one second you were as cold as we were. You are wonderful being as human as you are, Ichigo, and I loved you as a man before being anything else..." She got up from the bed and stood in front of him with a red tone on her face. "...And I'll always love you just the way you are" She pushed him to the bed and snuggled him with kisses.

"Oi, Nel!" He didn't expect that reaction from her, but it was the best support he could've gotten at the moment. "Ahahahaha! I get it! I get it!"

"Really? I'm not sure you truly understand..." She did a mischievous smile that reminded him of Yoruichi.

"Nel...?" He started getting nervous.

She pressed her melons against his chest and proceeded to slowly lick his cheek.

"You're sweating... Ichi" She whispered in his ear, her voice as hipnotizing as some exotic melody.

"Haa..." He panted, feeling as his libido increased exponentially.

"You taste... Sweet. Just like an i-chi-go (苺)" She looked him right in the eye, with a seductive grin.

He simply devoured her mouth as he wildly ravaged her hair and figure. Nel felt accomplished as she proved once again that she knew how to awaken that side of him.

"Don't think about anything else, Ichi" She removed her top clothing. "I love you, and you love me. That's all you have to care about"

"And how right you are..." She embraced her naked body and kissed her until the oxygen ran out, Nel biting his lip 'til she tasted the crimson fluid of her loved one, eagerly inviting him to do the same to her. "Everything will be fine, as long as I have you..."

And so, in ecstasy, close to Heaven, they could feel what they did not understand.

~~~~X~~~~

"Where are you going...? Cifer-kun?" Orihime asked him, just before he jumped off the window of the room where she decided to stay.

She had brought colourful clothes, in contrast with the white Espada attire she was forced to wear before. Her sleeping attire was no exception, having brought her fuchsia t-shirt and a pair of short dark blue leggings.

"I have... Something I have to do" He replied, not looking back at her. "For that... I must become stronger and get to control my new powers"

He had not even tried to sleep, he was just waiting for the night to be at its peak to take a flight.

"And why at this time of the night? You could do it tomorrow... Or is it that you want to do it in secret?" She inquired. "You are planning something again... Aren't you?"

"Inoue..." He decided to look at her. "Last time, my actions made my king miserable. I want to do something to pay him back. That's all"

She looked at him with a sad smile.

"I'm sure you are unable to see how pure you truly are" She said.

"That's not true. I'm despicable. Everyone other than you thinks so at least, and I think they're right. They have no reason to think differently" He looked at the floor in misery.

"If you keep thinking that way about yourself... I doubt you'll ever change" She seemed saddened by his attitude.

"But it's not about what I _want _to think, Inoue. It's about what I _am. _It's not something I can change so easily"

"Cifer-kun..." She gave him a sad look.

"Don't worry. Thanks to this, I can carry out my next scheme without a single doubt in my heart" He replied, stoic and determined.

"I don't know what you want to do, but if you're gonna protect Ichigo thanks to that... I'll support you!" She gave him a serious look as well.

He chuckled a bit. "Thanks... Inoue. Now, go back to sleep, you are human, you need it more than I..."

"Human..." She thought for a moment. "Hey, Cifer-kun... There's something I've been dying to ask you for a while"

"Really? And what would that be?" He asked back, curious.

"I think I've been able to get an idea after spending so much time with you and Nel, but, how does it feel...? You know... Being a Hollow?"

"That... That's difficult to describe" He admitted. "And then, there's also the fact that I am especially hollow for a Hollow, you know what I mean?" It sounded like a pun, but he didn't find a better choice of words.

"I kinda expected you to say something like that" She smiled awkwardly.

"I can't find a way to put it simple, but... At least for me it is... Being so empty that everyone else seem to be souvenirs. Souvenirs of flesh and bone, that are only there for our consumption or enjoyment. In my own case... I never had to feed when I entered the stage of Vasto Lorde, not even having a mouth. Although, even then... I found pleasure in destroying others, so I was even worse than those who killed to stay in that stage. There was nothing else in my mind. Kill for pleasure, endless pleasure. Satisfaction was my reality... A careful pleasure, that ended up becoming a guilty pleasure, one in which I can only find shame and guilt in the present"

"So what used to be enjoyment, turned out to be a form of suffering... Because of me" Orihime concluded sadly. "You feel miserable because I taught you about the heart..." She had an urge to cry.

"Stop. It's not something negative. I can finally understand the pain and suffering I inflicted upon others and continue to deal up to this day... But such a discovery has allowed me to grow even further" He smiled.

"Huh?" She looked at him, widening her eyes.

"Back there in the dark desert... When I fought Ichigo-sama and Nelliel-sama... I was almost defeated"

"Yeah... But then you unlocked _Etapa Final_" She remembered.

"Exactly" He nodded. "Such a thing, was only possible because of the things you taught me. Because for the first time in all my Hollow existence... I found something that had value in this empty world" He caressed her cheek.

"Cifer-kun..." She blushed a bit, surprised that he decided to touch her.

"For the first time in my life, I was truly living. Deciding to stay alive because of something much more important than my own self" He gently played with her long hair. "I finally understand... That I returned to his world, because of you, Inoue" He softly passed his hand through the length of her arm, stopping at her hand to entangle his fingers with hers.

Orihime felt as her heart started beating faster, rapidly increasing her blood pressure as she looked into his eyes.

"Hey, Ulquiorra..." Her tone was shy, but the fact that she used his name called his attention immediately.

"What is it?"

"Kurosaki-kun said that... He and Nel-san... Had become Wholes. What...? What does that mean?"

"To tell the truth, I didn't know about such a thing until he mentioned it. However... I did hear what Nel-sama told Harribel. It seems that, two Arrancar can establish a bond that allows them to share their Reiryoku. This only seems possible if they truly love each other, or at least that's how she described it"

"I see... And, what do you think of it?" She asked, as her hand started sweating a bit.

"I... I imagine it has to be the most beautiful experience a Hollow can have in its lifetime" He confessed. "Love... If only I could understand such a thing"

"But... Are you sure you have never felt it at least?"

"Feel...?" He asked back, obliviously.

Orihime slowly passed her fingers around his Hollow Hole, making him blush a bit.

"Here. This is where your heart should be, right?"

"I guess so... Though I wouldn't say for sure"

"Then... What do you feel... When you think about... Me, for example?" She was really anxious, but tried her best to keep her cool.

"Hmm..." He thought for a moment. "I feel... Like a warmth inside me. Like my soul is... At peace"

"Really?"

"Yeah... Your kind being... Your beautiful face... Your pure soul... There's no way something could make me feel better"

"If that's so..." She held his hand more tightly. "Don't leave me tonight. Just like you... I feel so much better when you're with me"

Ulquiorra looked at her with a clueless expression.

"How...? What...?" He asked in shock.

"I don't know..."

"Even after I..."

"I don't know"

"Why would you...?"

"I don't know!" She forcibly pulled him into the bed, opening his white jacket in the process. "I don't know... Why I need you, Ulquiorra" She was breathing heavily, and sweating a bit. "I don't understand... But ever since you returned, I can't help but feel sorrow when I see you do all this stuff alone. I decided that I would come here because I wanted to be with you more than anything else!" She finally said it. "I don't know why... But, I feel like I'm gonna die if I see you go back to the miserable being you once were!"

"I...noue" He felt paralyzed by her. Her words, tone, expression... Everything together was the perfect recipe to immobilize him. Not even bringing tape and tying him up to her body would've been as effective.

"So please... Stay" She was crying with her face buried in his white chest. "You keep me safe... Make me believe in case... You ever leave... I'll keep you here with me..."

"What are you doing...?" Was the only thing he could think. "...Woman?"

Orihime escalated his abdomen and reached his face. She deeply stared into his jade eyes as she concluded her tantalizing ritual, pressing her lips against Ulquiorra's.

The Espada's eyes got widened as he realized that such an event was not an illusion. Inoue Orihime was kissing him. Ulquiorra Cifer, the nihilist Espada, the one who saw no value in anything, couldn't even think as a human woman bewitched his stone-cold heart.

He lousily replied to her kiss, moved purely by instinct and, unknown to him, passion. As the seconds passed though, he slowly improved and was able to reciprocate her affection.

When Inoue opened her eyed again, she realized that she had just stolen that kiss from the especially shy Arrancar.

"I-I'm so sorry!" She pulled away from him. "I... I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable! I just...!"

"It's... Okay, Inoue" He slowly replied, still not really believing that was real. "I... I don't know what this is... But, I'm happy. I can't remember a single moment I've felt truly happy, but this... This exceeds any expectation I had of that emotion"

"So you... You liked it...?"

"I never even dreamed of kissing. It's something I only saw recently between, well... You can imagine"

"Yeah..." Orihime understood who he was talking about.

"Although I've heard of Hollows experiencing sexual intercourse out of lust or merely by caprice... Love is still out of reach in that sense, so we don't know about these things" Ulquiorra explained. "But it seems... Humans do"

"Well... I... I had never really kissed anybody before... It's something that, even though we are used to seeing in fiction and Dorama... Is not so simple to experience yourself"

"Does it hold... A special meaning?"

"Very special. There are various kinds of kisses, but this one... Was a kiss of..."

Ulquiorra took her by the wrist and locked her in a kiss by himself. Not even he understood how he was able to do such thing but he was glad he did.

Orihime gently pulled his black hair as she continued tasting his mouth. She moaned as the last portion of oxygen was consumed inside her to enjoy that moment to the fullest.

"I...Inoue" He smiled as he panted her name.

"So... It was not... Misplaced after all..." She cried as she confirmed it. "It was... A kiss of love"

"So... This is... Love...?" He repeated in amusement.

"Yes..." She cutely kissed his cheek. "I love you, Ulquiorra... My dear Cifer-kun"

"Love..." He said once more, sweating nervously but, feeling more complete than ever before.

"I love you, so you don't have to leave... I'll keep you here with me" She hugged him, in a warm way she had never done before.

"I... I won't" He decided, corresponding to her embrace. "I love you, Orihime. Even though I don't understand anything... I just know I love you"

"Thank you..." She rested her head right on top of his Hollow Hole, making him feel like it was filled for the first time.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes and wished that it was not all just a dream, falling asleep with that request he made to wichever God looked after their race.

"Good night, Ulqui-kun" She cutely said, once he fell asleep. "Thanks, Nel-san. I promise this time... I will love, without fear of anything. Ulquiorra is a Hollow, and I am a human... But that's irrelevant. He loves me and I love him. That's all that matters, right?" She fell asleep as well with that vow, holding the pale hand of her loved one, happy that she was able to make him feel happy, loved, and over all...

A L I V E

~~~~X~~~~

Ichigo woke up, tightly embraced by Nel.

"Heh... I'd never get tired of this" He thought as he softly caressed her cheek, patiently waiting for her to wake up.

When she opened her eyes, a smile appeared on her lips as she realized that she was still holding him, feeling the warmth of Ichigo on her own nude body.

"Good morning, Ichi" She kissed him.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Well falls short. I'd say it was amazing... Though that's not surprising after a night like that one" She blushed a bit.

"Gotta agree with that... You were wondefful, and... Thanks, I was able to wash away my problems and sleep well"

"I just saw you more worried than usual, so I figured that would be the best way to make you forget about everything"

"Yeah... Though it's only a matter of time before we have to face reality" He smiled sadly. "To be honest, I... I don't wanna fight anybody. They are our friends"

"I know... But Harri decided that herself, and knowing her, she won't change her mind"

"That's true... I guess the only way to sort this out is to do as she says. I want to try to not to hurt her or Grimmjow. If possible, I'd like to raise my Reiatsu to a point where no one can even stand, but considering she and Grimmjow can go into _Segunda Etapa_, I doubt that'll be enough"

"Whatever happens... I won't love you any less, Ichigo. You have to understand that this might be the only way to protect Hueco Mundo in the long run. If anything... Just, try not to kill anybody, please"

"I don't plan to do such a horrible thing, don't worry" He gently held her hand and rested his head on her chest, enjoying the softness of her natural pillows.

"You really like them, don't you?" She giggled. "I didn't want to believe Yoruichi-san, but it seems you _are_ a bit of a pervert"

"Hey, it's not like that...!" He raised his head with a red tone on his face.

"I'm just kidding" She laughed and sinked his head into her chest herself, stroking his hair gently. "Any man would love to enjoy his woman to the fullest, wouldn't he?"

"I... Guess..." He shyly replied.

"You don't have to be so shy..." She whispered. "...I'm all yours, Ichi"

"My... Nel..." He chuckled and reached her lips one more time.

The two got up about an hour later, wearing their respective Espada uniforms, heading to the Throne Room to discuss the details of the battle.

As expected, Harribel was already on the grand table discussing something important with two of her Fracción.

"...He seems disoriented, but it's not like he's sad or angry" Sung-Sun explained.

"But did he realize he's not a Shinigami anymore?" Harribel asked seriiously.

"Yes..." Mila Rose sighed. "It was one of the first things that happened, actually. He touched his own chest and then... Realized that something was missing"

"Well, as long as he's not trying to harm you or himself... I think it's a good start, or at least considering his backstory" The Queen concluded.

"Good morning, Harri! And to you two as well!" Nel cheerfully saluted.

"Good morning, Nel-sama" The three said in unison.

"For what I heard, Ashido is awake" Ichigo deduced.

"Yeah... Apacci and Rukia-san taking care of him" Sung-Sun replied.

"I see. Well, let's just hope that he can adapt soon to this new life" Ichigo concluded, the rest agreeing with a nod. "Changing the topic... Just, when exactly are we supposed to fight?"

"Oh, that..." Harribel remembered. "Earlier in the morning, I asked Rudbornn to inform about the duel to the inhabitants of Las Noches. It will be held today, in the late afternoon. I'm sorry that everything is so quick, but we don't have time. The Oni could attack at any moment"

"I know. I only wanted to have an idea of when it was. Will Grimmjow fight as well?"

"You know him. He's been training since last night in hope to defeat you and become king of Hueco Mundo..." She sighed. "He knows it's useless, but he will try nonetheless. But don't worry, he won't interrupt our fight"

"I understand" Ichigo nodded. "I hope we can all be friends even after..."

"Friends, huh?" Harribel seemed to smile behind her jacket. "I never imagined that friendship was ever a possibility for us. But, you taught me of it, Kurosaki Ichigo, and Nel-sama as well. I don't have a problem leaving the throne to you if you can teach everyone about those wonderful things"

"Harribel-sama...!" Her Fracción were surprised by her declaration.

"So for now... Try to relax and get to know the palace. It has grown a lot, so it might be good for you as well, Nel-sama"

"Thank you, Harri. Let's go, Ichigo!" Nel grabbed him by the arm.

"Y-Yeah... Oh, one more thing. Have any of you seen, Nageki?" He asked the three.

"I believe he went to the Desert Towers" Harribel replied.

Ichigo remembered that place. It was where he fought Grimmjow, as well as Nnoitra. The place where Nel turned back into an adult for the first time only to protect him.

"Thank you, we're gonna go check on him" Ichigo bowed a bit and headed for the mentioned area.

Once they were out in the open, they gave a look to the place.

It seemed Rudbornn was working to his fullest, along with other inhabitants of the palace. They were all doing reparations, having to reconstruct a large number of structures and, more importantly, the whole ceiling, which had been completely destroyed.

"They are doing a great job" Nel pointed out. "Many of the buildings have been restored already. It is truly fascinating seeing so many Arrancar working together"

"I can tell how happy this makes you. My Hollow Hole seems to react to the way you feel as well. I probably didn't notice earlier because we were in situations that stimulated the two of us"

"Now that you mention it, I think I also felt a bit down yesterday when you were worried. Probably, that was what woke me up" She remembered.

"I'm sure Nageki will be interested in hearing this... If he didn't know already, of course"

"Oh, Ichigo... I'm so happy to be a Whole with you!" She hugged him strongly.

"I know. And I couldn't be happier to make you feel that way..." He pat her head. "I'm sure Mugetsu is also glad to know that Hueco Mundo is slowly heading towards the marvelous past it used to have"

In a large red tower, they found the immortal Arrancar, who seemed to have built a laboratory inside it.

"Wow, look at all this stuff!" Nel was surprised at the amount of scientific instruments he had in the lab.

Essay tubes, boiling flasks, strange materials, liquids and machines... Everything seemed to come out of a science fiction movie.

"Oh, I figured you two would come by sooner or later. I improvised this little lab to conduct a couple more experiments before I leave this world behind" He cheerfully said as he came down a spiral staircase.

"So cool!" Nel seemed to be amazed.

"Where did you get all of this stuff?" Ichigo asked curious.

"I made it. In my _Segunda Etapa_, I can alter the composition of external matter and, as a result, I can turn all that sand you see outside into something completely different and useful for my various experiments"

"You are amazing, Nageki..." Ichigo was astonished.

"It's not that big of a deal... I might have this ability, but I was never a proficient fighter. It's true, I could fight, but it's not my forte. What made me perfect to guard the Heart of Tsukoyomi was my ability to create all kinds of barriers, traps and devices to protect it"

"But... Pesche and Dondochakka entered with no further problem" Nel pointed out.

"That's because they are Arrancar. I didn't create any barrier from Arrancar cause, they have no reason to do anything to the Heart of Tsukoyomi. The only one able to use it is Ichigo, so as soon as they took it realized that it's useless in their hands, they would've probably tossed it around or left it back where it belongs"

"Actually..." Ichigo got the tesseract from his pocket. "Is it safe that I just carry it around?"

"Don't worry, you are more than capable to defend it from any Oni below Prince level, unless they attacked together of course" He referred to the Four Horsemen. "But that was exactly what I was doing right now. I'm creating a device that can both emulate this signal and amplify its action around Las Noches"

"What does it do?"

"It's designed to protect this place from the opening of a Kimon"

"Like a force field?"

"Kinda, though it will not act as a physical barrier. I can't do that much, or at least not with this little time"

"But...!" Nel was about to protest that he could just live for a while longer, but Ichigo stopped her.

"I understand" He put his hand in Nel's shoulder, indicating that he understood what she tried to say, but dismissed it for some reason.

"I should finish this work between today and tomorrow, so don't worry. After that, I'll try to create a safe for you to put the Heart and keep it protected without the need to carry it everywhere. Actually... Mugetsu used to wear a necklace with the Heart of Tsuloyomi, so it was easier to move with it, give me a second"

"Oh... Thanks" Ichigo muttered, as Nageki had already taken the tesseract from his hand and was doing a lot of stuff to a speed at which they couldn't make out what the hell was he doing.

"There you go!" Nageki passed him the Tesseract through the air, now tied to a dark metal necklace that looked like a chain.

"Wow... It's... Practical..." He said while putting it on. He picked that word as the design seemed a bit dark-themed for his taste. "I feel like a sadist wearing this thing... Though Nel wouldn't have a problem if that was the case" He thought.

"Glad that you liked it. Also, Nelliel, take this with you" He passed her a small notebook (of paper).

"What's this for?" She asked.

"I believe females are more perceptive of feelings and more... Abstract stuff. Because of that, I wanted you to write anything new you discover about Wholes"

"Oh... That. We actually did discover something" She remembered.

"Really? It must be fascinating! But, I gotta go back to work right now, so please write it down in the notebook I gave you"

"Okay" She nodded.

"See you later, you two. Good luck in your fight, Ichigo" Nageki wished as he indirectly requested them to leave.

"Oh, thanks. I'll do my best"

"And thank you for accepting my request, Nelliel. Thanks to you, I'll be able to complete my research before turning into dust"

"You're welcome... I guess" She felt uneasy about the last part.

"Let's go, Nel. We have to continue our tour" Ichigo held her by the hand.

"Yeah!" She happily walked with him while humming a cute melody.

As they went to check some other area, Nel couldn't help but ask Ichigo about Nageki.

"Hey, Ichi. Why are you so calm when Nageki-san talks about his own planned death?"

"Well... I think there is no point in living if you have no reason anymore. Nageki is someone who has been alive for an unconceivable amount of time, and during that time, he didn't make friends, or at least... Not that they lasted..." Ichigo shared his point of view as they went through the desert.

"Oh... It makes sense when you put it like that" She sadly complied.

"That's why... I won't deny him his wish to end his own existence. I don't really _want_ him to die but, if that's what he wants, I won't get in his way"

"You're right" She sighed. "It's so weird. It had been so long since I met him for the first time. For me... He was a friend, and probably, the first I ever had since I am a Hollow. However..." Her eyes darkened a bit. "Like he said, in reality, I don't know anything about him. It's like, I thought I knew or at least understood him but... That was just an illusion"

"Nel..." He pulled her closer to support her, knowing that this would probably lead to a trial of tears.

"I didn't know his name. I didn't know what he wanted. I never really_ saw_ him" She endured the pain, trying not to bother Ichigo with her grief. "It's like... I was betrayed... By the very first person I put my trust in"

"C'mon, it's not like that..."

"In the end... Betrayal is always chasing after me. Since I refrain from betraying others, my own aspect of death haunts me" She couldn't hold her tears any longer, crying on Ichigo's chest, making his Hollow Hole feel a sorrowful cold. "Who knows... What awful vision will I see in my nightmares this time...?"

"You won't see any of that. I won't allow it" Ichigo said determined.

She stopped her tears to look at the expression on his face. It was no farce, no bluff. He meant what he said and he would do as he declared.

"Nel... Your heart and my heart, are one and the same. Your dreams, are my dreams... I won't allow any darkness to enter"

"Ichigo..." She said with a hint of admiration.

"And don't forget, Nel. Ever since we've slept together there have been no nightmares, right?"

"Well, at least after that night in the Dangai..."

"Exactly. Cause that was the moment you decided to not betray your own feelings anymore" Ichigo seemed to understand the nature of her aspect of death at this point. "I don't know what Gamuza has told you, but I know how acid the words can be of a Hollow spirit who only wants to take control over your body" He remembered Mugetsu in the past, when he did all he could to try to possess him. "Don't let her get to you, Nel. Don't be fooled. Mugetsu told me the secret to _Etapa Final_, and it's not embracing your nature like in _Segunda Etapa_, but instead... Fighting against that dark seal until you become what you wanna be"

"Is that? How Ulquiorra did it...?" She asked astonished.

"Yeah. And that's exactly the reason I know I can trust him" He looked at the horizon. "He's no longer an empty carcass waiting to fill a void with death and destruction. He has found a meaning in life, and was reborn again"

"I see!" She finally understood.

"So... You don't need any doubt in your heart. You're just about to unlock your true potential, I'm sure, so keep believing in others the same way you've been doing it all this time" He kissed her skull.

Her face and eyes seemed to recover their color as she radiantly smiled at him.

"You're right, Ichigo. Thank you!" She snuggled him a bit. "I don't know... What I would do without you"

"Neither do I. But this is the _Life_ I was destined to have, and I couldn't be any happier, just because you're part of it"

~~~~X~~~~

The late afternoon arrived sooner than any of them could've expected.

All the Arrancar from Las Noches had reunited outside of the palace to watch the confrontation that was about to take place.

A large WatchTower had been built only for that matter in fact, as the distance they had to take from the actual fighters was too great in order to not get caught in the crossfire.

Renji and Grimmjow were standing on the side of the arena. They had been training all day, but that was because of the Espada, who wanted to hone his abilities to the very limit in order to face Ichigo.

"Thanks... Shinigami" He muttered at Renji.

"Oi, call me Renji. It's not like we're strangers after all this time" He replied, a tad bothered.

Grimmjow chuckled.

"Hmphm... Fine, Renji. I gotta admit you're right about that"

Nel and Orihime were at the top of the tower along with the Tres Bestias and their new friend, while Rukia and the others were a level below.

"This atmosphere... Amazing" Rukia commented as she only grasped in that moment what Ichigo's decision had caused in the short run.

"It's not strange..." Pesche replied. "Ichigo-sama is about to make history"

"Although I'm pretty sure this isn't what he wanted the most" Renji said in reply.

"In any case... It is what Tier wanted" Grimmjow grinned. "And it is what_ I_ desire as well" He said, getting ready for his moment.

Ashido was looking at his surroundings in confusion. Arrancar seemed to be... Calm. And not calm like an assassin waiting for its moment, but like a civilized audience expecting to see a duel.

Even the more enthusiastic Arrancar appeared to be so because of the adrenaline generated by the idea of witnessing such an event.

"I'll finally see Harribel-sama in all her might!" A female Arrancar said in the lower levels.

"I heard that the challenger is none other than Kurosaki Ichigo. The same man who defeated Aizen-sama" A male Arrancar said from the ground, where the mass of spectators that couldn't fit in the tower were.

Ashido sighed.

"Are these the same beasts I swore to destroy back then?" He asked himself.

"Is something the matter, Ashido-san?" Sung-Sun asked worried, trying to get as close to him as she could.

"N-No... I was only... Lost in thought for a second"

"Hey, look! It seems Harribel-sama will give a speech!" Apacci called their attention.

Any mumble or casual talk that was heard at the moment became completely silent.

"Inhabitants of Las Noches, as well as allies in this fight with the Demons..." Harribel introduced. "Today I requested your presence to withold a duel. A duel that will decide wether I still hold the title of ruler of Hueco Mundo. I am sure that many of you have already heard about the challenger, and I doubt there is any need for introductions... So I'll go straight to the point. Kurosaki Ichigo, the man who defeated the traitor, Sousuke Aizen, has become an Arrancar, just like everyone present. As a fellow Hollow, he has the right to challenge me for the throne, and I have complied. Now, it's time to see _who_ has the power to reign over Las Noches!"

Shouts and screams of euphoria were heard as she concluded her speech.

Harribel did not look back as she walked towards the center of a large area that was chosen as the arena.

Grimmjow on his part, jumped from the tower to get closer, waiting for the right moment to jump in.

Once the Queen was in the chosen spot, a shadow emerged from the distance.

Ichigo, now wearing his black Shinigami clothes, slowly entered the arena. On his left side, he carried _Las Noches,_ while on the right, he still had _Zangetsu_.

Harribel looked at him with defiant emerald eyes as she decided not to hold back.

"Hunt, _Tiburón... __Resurrección: Segunda Etapa"_ She skipped her first _Resurrección_ to go straight into her strongest form.

Everyone beheld the form of their current Queen in all her might and beauty.

"~Harribel-sama!~" Her Fracciones squealed in adoration.

"Are you gonna fight like that, Ichigo? Or do you have something up your sleeve?" She asked him.

"No. Mugetsu hasn't told me the command, so I guess I'm not ready to go any further yet" He replied politely.

"I see... But don't think I'll hold back just because of that. Get ready"

"Sure" He took a defensive pose, though he did not draw any of his blades.

Mila Rose was holding a long horn, waiting for the crowd to calm a bit before doing the signal.

Once the moment came, she put the tip in her mouth and made the sound that commenced the awaited encounter.

Ichigo made a long sigh as he removed the band on his toe that was limiting his power.

"Sorry, Harribel" He muttered, thinking of how humiliating it would be for her to lose in such a way, overwhelmed merely by the pressure released by him.

As soon as the artifact stopped its functions, a slamming dark Reiatsu made her lose balance.

"What the...?" She thought.

"You gotta be kidding me...!" Grimmjow was equally astonished from the distance.

"This is the end" Ichigo declared as he saw Harribel trying her best not to fall on her knees.

"Oh... Really?!" Harribel replied with difficulty. "Cause I... Have only... Just... Began...!"

"Huh?" Ichigo looked surprised at her resolve.

Harribel charged her Reiatsu as well, managing to restore her balance as she kept her ground, panting.

"Haaaaaaa!"

A powerful yellow aura appeared around her, showing that she could stand up to Ichigo's power.

"Wow... Is that... A boost?" Ichigo asked her.

"It's something I recently discovered I could do... It's not perfect, but... It will be enough to be able to fight with honor"

"I see... In that case, I have no other choice but to give you a battle worthy of a Queen" He put his hand on _Zangetsu_'s handle.

Harribel smirked, ready to attack first, when another pressure joined the field.

"What is this... Feeling?" Ichigo remembered that power for some reason.

In less than a second, Harribel was sent flying towards the crowd with a kick that sounded just like an explosion, Grimmjow catching her a couple meters away from the mass in the sand.

"Tier!"

"Harribel-sama!" The Tres Bestias shouted.

"What the Hell?! That wasn't Ichigo!" Rukia noticed, as the Reiatsu only got stronger and thicker.

"That is..." Nel recognized the individual.

Orihime looked worried but stood silent. She knew what was going on.

As Grimmjow checked on her, he noticed that she had been instantly knocked out.

"You...!" Grimmjow got consumed by rage as he saw the figure that had beaten Harribel like it was nothing. "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU! ULQUIORRA!"

The new fourth Espada immediately transformed into his _Segunda Etapa_, charging towards the Primera Espada, who had attacked Harribel out of nowhere.

"Hmph" Ulquiorra mocked him, waiting with Chauve-Souris in his hands.

As soon as Grimmjow tried to slash him to pieces, leaving a trail of lightblue electricity behind, Ulquiorra flew towards him while rubbing his Final Weapon on the sand, at a speed so monstrous that his spear caught fire.

"Ulquiorra-sama..." Many Arrancar muttered in disbelief.

"Weak" He said as he hit Grimmjow with a burning uppercut of Chauve-Souris.

"Nghh...! Bastard!" He spat a lot of blood, but kept his ground. He couldn't be defeated, not like that. He had trained all day with Renji to fight Ichigo, and yet he was losing miserably to Ulquiorra, possibly the being he hated the most in this world. "But I... I won't give in!"

"You're a nuisance. Definitely not a worthy rival for Ichigo-sama. Disappear" He charged a _Cero_ from his finger. "_Cero Luna"_

A giant white and green beam was blasted in the blink of an eye, dealing massive damage to Grimmjow and defeating him with no further trouble.

"Someday... I'll... Kill you..." He muttered as he fell unconscious.

"Ulquiorra... What...?" Ichigo didn't understand.

"People of _Las Noches_. Is this your leader? A weak woman that's unable to withstand a single attack from the one who used to be a step below her? Or even worse... A savage beast with no real ambition who just wants the throne because of the meaning that has? I don't think so. On the other hand, _I_ have both the power and intelligence to lead you all into a new future. We will not only destroy the Oni that attacked us, but obliterate the Seireitei afterwards"

Many Arrancar cheered with that idea.

"What? This must be some kind of joke..." Rukia said, realizing the danger of that situation.

Ulquiorra chuckled. "We will devastate this world of pain and grief for the Hollows and recreate a new reality in which _we_ are the ones who control it all. Humans will be cattle, Shinigami will be erased and all the others will fall to their knees in our presence. Hueco Mundo shall rise above all the other realms of existence!" Ulquiorra claimed at the crowd, with an energy that was never seen.

"No" Ichigo replied. "Nel! Inoue!" He called the two women.

"Yes?" They said in unison.

"Heal those two. I'll take care of Ulquiorra"

"Okay!" Nel did as he ordered.

"Alright..." Orihime seemed more worried than his girl, but it was obvious that it was due to Ulquiorra.

"I don't know what suddenly got into you, but I don't like where this is going... So I'll just put you in your place and show them what a real leader is like..." He drew _Las Noches_ out of its sheath. "I... Will be the king of Hueco Mundo"

~~~~X~~~~

**Sorry for the wait, but I had two weeks of tests and stuff. I think I did fairly well though. Once again, this is a mixed chapter with a lot of things going on, but don't worry, I'll do my best to conclude and answer any doubts that might have risen over the course of this part.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Awesome chapter! So interesting! Ashido ain't become a Vizard like I thought, but instead an Arrancar? Fascinating. And yea. I doubt he'll adjust quickly to life as a Hollow, but hopefully he'll realize that even though he's now a Hollow, his friends would still want him to live on right? Plus, maybe even find love? Hint hint._**

**_In any case, I enjoyed this chapter a lot! Lemme know if you may need Arrancar OCs for the coming chapters or not. I doubt it though seeing as you DO have a lot planned out. I'm also looking forward to the duel between Harribel/Grimmjow and Ichigo! The power of Gran Rey Cero shall soon be shown to all of Hueco Mundo! WHOOO!_****_See ya next update!_**

**_P.S. Also liked the Harry Potter reference you made there with the Philosopher's Stone. Lol._**

**Reply: I thought it'd be more interesting that way, as well as a means to exploit the relationship between him and the Tres Bestias.**

**About OCs, I won't deny it completely, but just like with Demons and as you might have deduced, I've got most of it planned out. However, if you want, I could add an OC as an easter egg or something, but nothing plot related, sorry.**

**I know I built up tension for a duel with Harribel and Grimmjow, but let's not fool ourselves, Ichigo is really above that level right now, so it's time to see the conclusion of the decissive battle between him and Ulquiorra in their prime!**

**PD: Actually, the Philosopher's Stone is a pretty ancient legend in alchemy that goes back to 300 AD, so it's not really a Harry Potter reference, haha. Don't get me wrong, I like Harry Potter and read all the books (Although their fandom is quite cringy) but it's definitely not something I'd relate to Bleach in any way lol.**

**See you next Chapter. Evhron out.**


	23. Hollow King

Ichigo slashed the air with his Hollow Zanpakutou for the first time, attacking Ulquiorra with a giant wave of white and red Reiatsu.

_"__Getsuga Tenshou!"_

Ulquiorra countered it with the same beam he had shown Grimmjow. The special _Cero_, usable only by those who have the black eyes of _Etapa Final_.

"_Cero Luna_"

The ground around them was turned into a raging sandstorm.

"Inoue!" Rukia called her.

"What is it?" She asked.

"You've done enough, I can take it from here. Could you create a barrier around this area? Things are getting wild over there"

"Y-Yes!" She accepted the request, leaving Grimmjow, who had the most serious injuries, to Rukia and casting an orange force field that allowed them to see the fight while protected from the disastrous consequences it presented.

"Looks like this distance was not nearly enough..." Ichigo thought, looking at the giant barrier Orihime had to create. "Was she ever able to do one so big?"

"I see you're impressed by the increase in her powers" Ulquiorra realized. "Believe it or not, she has been training on her own ever since I took her with me. I hadn't seen the fruit of such training either, but that woman is a lot stronger than she looks"

"Why are you doing this Ulquiorra? What are you trying to achieve?"

"I already told you before... Such thing has not changed"

"C'mon, you don't have to do this!"

"Quite on the contrary, I must" He simply replied, preparing his spear for a new attack. "_Revolución del Relámpago_"

He shot a giant blast of green energy at the black sky, which separated into hundreds of _Lanza del Relámpago_, falling at a rapid pace.

"With an attack like that... Everyone's lives will be at risk" Ichigo thought. "I can't let him..."

Ichigo took a deep breath as he decided to stab his own hand with his horn, letting his dark red blood fall on the white sand as he pointed his hand at Ulquiorra, ready to shoot right before his attack fell.

"_Gran Rey Cero"_

The red blast that came out of his hand clashed with Ulquiorra's barrage, being almost equal in strength.

"Grrrrraaaahhh!" Ichigo made an effort to increase his _Cero_, so it finally engulfed the Espada's attack completely.

Ulquiorra flew away in order to evade said attack, which would've dealt him a considerable amount of damage in case it hit him.

The Arrancar that were witnessing the fight had their mouths wide open as they watched such a surreal battle. It was unlike anything they had ever seen.

"I had no idea... Ulquiorra was _this _strong" Apacci said told her fellow Fracciones, who were all reunited among Harribel as Nel healed her.

"And Ichigo-sama is not falling behind either" Sung-Sun added, equally impressed.

"So... You've started to see him as your king pretty early, don't you think?" Mila Rose replied.

"He is clearly the strongest, though your underdeveloped brain may not understand why..." She decided to insult her intelligence in reply.

"What did you say?!" The lioness Arrancar growled.

"Although I cannot deny the fact that I'll gladly follow him if he punishes Ulquiorra for doing this to Lady Harribel" Sung-Sun admitted.

"I gotta agree with that" She murmured.

"Hey, Nel-sama... H-How... How is she?" Apacci asked, worried.

"It's nothing so severe, Apa-chan" Nel replied, cutely creating a pun with the Fracción's name.

"Apa...Chan...? I mean, That's great..." She said in relief, a bit startled by the way she called her at first. "Actually, you knew me?"

"Tier told me about you three. I recognized you because of those beautiful eyes" She complimented her heterochromia. "Sorry for calling you that, it's just something I thought after hearing 'Apacci' was your name, but I can just call you that if it bothers you"

"Well... It would be alright if it were only you, Nel-sama, but... Those two won't stop if they hear you calling me that" She whispered as she looked at the other Fracción a bit flustered.

"Oh, I understand" Nel nodded.

"More importantly... Why... Why did this happen?" She asked Nel, thinking that she might have an idea.

"Well... Ulquiorra is a very unpredictable Arrancar. I cannot say that I've felt a hint of animosity from him, and he seemed very happy to know that Ichigo considered him his Primera Espada, so... The only possible answer is..."

"...That he's helping Kurosaki-kun in a way" Orihime completed, joining their conversation as Grimmjow had been completely healed, but still unconscious.

"So I was right after all..." Nel replied.

"He knew that Kurosaki-kun was troubled by the idea of fighting friends seriously, even more in the case of Harribel-san for being a woman... So he decided to put him in a situation that forced him to fight seriously, but also got him admiration from the crowd, eliminating the possibility that any of them develops ill feelings towards him because of the fight" Orihime explained in low voice.

"So... He did this to... Protect him?" Sung-Sun asked surprised as she was also listening.

"I can't believe it..." Mila Rose muttered.

"But... Are you sure... About that, Inoue-san?" Nel asked her, worried that it was just a hunch and not a fact.

Orihime remembered the conversation she had with Ulquiorra that morning, before he disappeared for the whole rest of the day, until that moment that was...

_"Ichigo-sama won't be able to fight to his fullest. Not against Harribel, or even Grimmjow. You know that as well as I do" He said._

_"Yeah... But, what other chance does he have?"_

_"Fighting a third party. Someone who interrupts the encounter and renders the two Arrancar against him useless. Someone who is not liked by anyone in the crowd, but who is able to read the desires of the most violent Arrancar like a book and tell them what they wanna hear..."_

_"Cifer-kun... Don't tell me you are planning to...!" Orihime understood his new scheme._

_"Yes. I will become that 'someone'. I will be the stepping stone to forge the new reign Ichigo-sama will rule over. There's no one who could do it better"_

_"But... You will be hated by so many...!"_

_"It's better to be hated for what you are than being loved for what you are not. I will never be someone they can trust, I know that. I was never like them in the first place... So I can easily accept this fate"_

_"Cifer-kun... I know I can't ask you to turn back now. I know that look..." She said sadly as she stared into his eyes and caressed his cheek. "...You are at the point of no return. You will do that no matter what I try, so... Promise me one thing"_

_"What?" He asked, a bit worried that he wouldn't be able to keep said vow._

_"That you'll come back to me no matter what" She said seriously. "In return... I will promise to love you for the rest of our lives"_

_Ulquiorra smiled in relief as he accepted, eager to discover what a life like that would be._

_"I promise, Inoue" He nodded._

_Orihime sealed the pact with a long kiss, giving him only more reason to fulfill the unbreakable task._

"I know it. Ulquiorra told me about it before... Sorry that I didn't say anything but... I also thought it was a good idea" She finally replied.

"Oh really?" Mila Rose spat back. "You two thought hurting and humilliating Harribel-sama was a good idea? I knew you were weird from the moment I saw you with him. Who in their right mind would want to be with the person who abducted them? Especially Ulquiorra! You are just as sick as he is..." She gave her a dread look.

Apacci and Sung-Sun didn't know how to react. On one hand, it was true that they didn't want Harribel to suffer in any way, not even defeat if possible. However, logically, this made no sense whatsoever.

"That's not...!" Orihime tried to defend herself.

"Mila Rose..." Nel called her attention with a serious tone.

"Y-Yes, Nel-sama?" The woman didn't expect that.

"Don't you dare try to insult Inoue-san ever again. She is the kindest person I've ever met, so I know for sure that those grave accusations are absolutely false. I understand how you feel, but you're letting your emotions take over instead of analyzing the situation. Apologize to her immediately" The Segunda Espada ordered, with an imposing attitude that made her look nothing short of a Queen.

Mila Rose considered what she had said for a second, making her realize how wrong she was.

"Yes, Nel-sama" She complied, bowing to Orihime. "I'm sorry for what I said, I'll take it back, Inoue-san"

"N-No. Don't worry. It was my fault for saying something so careless in such a situation..." Orihime took the responsibility.

Nel gave a dread look to Mila Rose, pushing her to not let Orihime take the blame for her wrongdoing.

"No, Inoue-san. I should've never insulted you, so it's my fault"

After that, Nel smiled at the two and concluded the topic.

"I trust your word, Inoue-san. Ulquiorra is doing something admirable. Right now, the last thing we need is to push ourselves against each other. By doing this, such a thing should not happen and Ichigo should be more comfortable with this, even if he doesn't realize it"

"That's true. You can tell just by seeing him" Orihime agreed, making everyone tilt their heads towards the battle.

Ichigo was clashing with Ulquiorra at a speed so high that the only moments they could be seen was when they hit each other in mid-air.

"_Ciclón de Murciélago"_

Ulquiorra attacked with powerful hurricanes of black and green Reiatsu.

Ichigo was able to stop him with powetful slashes of his two blades.

"Ichigo!" A voice in his mind said.

"Zangetsu!" He recognized it. "What is it?"

"Don't you think it's time to use something more than just single sword slashes to get him?"

"Well, I also know Kidou now so..."

"That's not what he meant, Kingy. You should take advantage of having two Zanpakutous" Mugetsu joined.

"But that's what I'm doing, right?"

Tensa Zangetsu tried to explain as he didn't seem to comprehend:

"Cross both blades and devastate him with a new level of Getsuga. Just say..."

_"**Getsuga Juujishou**!__" _Ichigo said at the same time as his Zanpakutou spirits.

A cross shaped cut of white, black and red energy flew towards Ulquiorra at a monstrous speed.

"Now this is more like it..." Ulquiorra muttered as he braced for impact, spinning _Chauve-Souris _in an intent to block most of it.

The attack, however, was far more destructive than he had estimated. As soon as it hit him, he felt his body breaking.

"It can't be...!" He muttered as blood came out from various parts of his being, though he regenerated pretty fast.

Before he could counter, however, Ichigo appeared behind him.

"It's over, Ulquiorra" He declared, rolling his Hollow Zanpakutou. "_Cero Luna"_

Ichigo knew that such an attack was only possible for an Arrancar in _Etapa Final,_ but such limitations didn't apply to him. After all, even as a Shinigami he was able to use _Cero Oscuras_ just by wearing his Hollow mask.

The white and red beam forced Ulquiorra to use his most powerful ability yet, though it was not perfected.

"_Tormenta de Murciélago__"_

A giant black hurricane with green electricity running through it rose from around his body, creating a sort of force field, just before the _Cero_ hit him.

Right after, black clouds covered the sky above them and charged themselves with electricity.

"What is that power...?" Arrancar murmured from the watchtower.

"Is a single Espada even... Capable of that...?!" Another replied in shock.

A black and green lightning fell from the clouds, directed at a single point: _Chauve-Souris_.

Ulquiorra pointed his Final Weapon at Ichigo, knowing that he was putting his life in danger.

Despite that, he knew Ichigo had to be strong enough to overcome that attack. After all, he was their rightful ruler, he was Gran Rey Cero.

"**_Lanza _****_Relámpago Muerto_**_" _He said as he threw the spear, rolling with green and black electricity around it.

Ichigo could see how the attack was even faster than anything he'd seen until that point, and probably, it was the same with power.

Once again, such an attack was dangerous for everyone present. It had an unknown magnitude, but he was sure that it would not leave the field unscarred.

"I have to... Do something" He thought. "I have to protect them all"

And inside his mind, the voice of his new Zanpakutou's spirit spoke once more.

"You're ready..." He whispered. "The power to hollow other souls is yours... The ability to..."

Ichigo didn't ask anything as he heard those words, he understood perfectly.

The lance was about to hit him when he put the white sword inside his Hollow Hole and said:

"Void... _**L****as Noches**_"

"No way...!" The crowd gasped. Everyone had clearly heard it.

A cupola of pure black Reiatsu engulfed him and everything in a hundred meters radius. It was a violent energy, and it resulted in a strange Reiatsu.

Needless to say, Chauve-Souris was sent flying back to the ground below Ulquiorra with an utmost ease.

For all the Arrancar present, it wasn't a feeling of being crushed or slammed by the pressure, instead, it was a sensation of being weakened. As if their own Reishi was being absorbed by a black hole.

Weaker Arrancar started falling unconscious, unable to withstand the effect of Ichigo's _Resurrección_.

"What is... This feeling?" Apacci muttered in shock.

"It's like... My power's being sucked up..." Mila Rose added.

In the upper deck, where Nel's Fracción were with Renji and Ashido now, they could see the whole event, with an open mouth as the black hole was still in sight.

"What's going on...?" Ashido said, feeling strange as well.

"I cannot say... How is... Nel-sama?" Pesche asked worried.

Nelliel looked at the scenery, not with admiration or fear, but with confusion.

"I can feel everyone becoming weaker..." She thought, seeing as many Arrancar were already knocked out. "But then why... Why do I feel like I'm getting stronger?"

Saying that made her realize the only possible explanation.

"Does this mean...? Ichigo is the one causing this...? Could he be absorbing Hollow Reishi!?" She put her hand in her chest and closed her eyes, trying to feel the connection with him in a deeper way.

Ichigo's Reiryoku was expanding second by second, relentlessly absorbing the power of all Hollows around him.

After a couple seconds though, she sensed how it was growing at a slower pace and then it all suddenly stopped.

She opened her hazel eyes to gaze upon her Ichigo.

As expected, the black hole-like cupola had started to reduce its size, until it left only a shadowy figure of the being that created it

Finally, the pitch black energy that covered Ichigo's body dispersed into the night, leaving only a long tunic that made its master look like the embodiment of Death.

His red furry collar on the neck, as well as the brazelets of red fur on his wrists grew a bit larger and became sharper.

His hands and feet had grown claws, just like the ones he had in his Vasto Lorde form.

The black lines that came out of his Hollow Hole expanded through his whole body, ending at the red furry collar.

His face seemed to be the same, but his mask had extended and covered his whole upper half, creating a helmet-like piece with two long curved horns.

Finally, Zangetsu, despite being part of his Shinigami legacy, was tied with a black chain to his arm, just like it had done in its full potential.

Ichigo looked at his surroundings, still a bit dishoriented with the changes.

As soon as he saw Ulquiorra, he flew towards him in a way that even looked as teleportation from the eyes of the Espada.

"Ichigo-sama..." Ulquiorra muttered as he beheld the new form of his king.

Ichigo pointed his index finger at Ulquiorra, charging a tiny black sphere in its tip.

"_Cero Medianoche"_ The black sphere blasted a dark beam that threw Ulquiorra into the sand floor, erasing all his limbs easily.

Ichigo had been careful to not use a killing blow, but even so, it was a simply devastating attack and he had never used it before.

"Didn't I want to use a _Cero Oscuras_?" He thought confused and a bit worried.

To Ulquiorra however, there couldn't have been a greater happiness than confirming his beliefs. As he lay on the ground, he smiled at the moon above him and said:

"Long live... The king of the night... Long live... Gran Rey Cero...!"

After saying that, it all went black.

Ichigo descended upon the body of the Espada. He could see how it was slowly regenerating itself, but it was at a very slow pace compared to how it should have been.

"So this is what my power is capable of..." Ichigo thought, looking at him. "Even if he still isn't able to use _Etapa Final_ to its fullest... I easily obliterated him"

Orihime cast the barrier away as the battle ended.

Many Arrancar, although weak, were still conscious as the encounter concluded.

Nel ran towards him, worried that he was hurt in some way, although that was pretty much impossible given the circumstances.

"Ichigo! Are you alright?!" She asked him worried as she hugged him.

He smiled at her and exhaled in relief. She was not scared of him.

"Nel... You didn't feel like... I was draining your life out... Did you...?"

"No, of course not...!" She knew he was worried. "But... I felt it..." She admitted. "You became stronger... Absorbing their Reishi, didn't you...? I... I felt stronger as well"

"Ah, it must be because of our link" He remembered, happy that such thing was only a plus for her. "It seems that this is an ability of my _Resurrección_, but I don't know how to control it yet, so... I'd like to go back to my base form. It's easy, right?"

"I thought as much" Nel knew he would've never done something so dangerous on purpose. "It's hard to explain, but try to seal your Reiatsu in the form of a sword. If you get your Zanpakutou back, is because you did it well"

"Alright"

Ichigo did as Nel told him, chanelling his overwhelming Reiatsu into his Zanpakutou's sheath, thinking of the sheath as a seal.

His mask shattered, leaving only the right part, just like it was before, and the rest of his body went back to how it used to be in general.

_Las Noches_ went back to being a normal white Zanpakutou and the chain tying Zangetsu to his arm disappeared.

A giant wave of dark Reiatsu washed over the Arrancar crowd as he went back to his normal form. He returned what he had taken, or at least what was left of it.

It was clear that the power to bring every other Hollow to its knees was not because of the powerful nature of his Reiatsu, but due to the tendency to absorb it had.

"Looks like it worked" He chuckled as he hugged Nel tightly, kissing her and feeling alive once again.

His power was tremendous, but it was not a nice feeling.

As he was submerged into the darkness of his own Zanpakutou, an abyss of loneliness tainted his soul. It was a mixture of wanting to erase existence itself, to reduce everything to nothing as his dark eternal night swallowed it all.

Now he understood why Mugetsu had chosen a special time to tell him. His power couldn't be taken lightly. Not by others and especially not by him.

"If I didn't have you with me... I would've gone mad" He whispered to her.

"Everything's alright now..." Her soft soothing voice replied as she warmly caressed his face. "I'm always with you, Ichi. I am a part of you. You will never be truly alone... Cause I love you"

愛してる

She looked up with a smile and bent over to kiss him again.

Unknown to them, or to be exact, forgotten, almost all the Arrancar in Las Noches witnessed that moment.

Their eyes were fixated on the two, stunned by what they saw.

First of all, their Queen had been defeated by an Espada many believed to be dead, and now, was overwhelmingly stronger than anything they had seen.

After that, their minds were blown as the man who defeated Aizen beat the Espada and bestowed a power unlike anything they could imagine.

Finally, they couldn't even understand how the teal haired Arrancar approached their new king, carelessly demonstrating a kind of affection that was never believed to be possible for any kind of Hollow.

All of Las Noches was in shock as three paradigms had been broken in less than an hour.

The Tres Bestias as well as Loly and Menoly could only blush in reply to the last event, suddenly feeling lonely as the idea of finding a partner unconsciously rose inside their minds.

Ashido, more than embarrassed in some way, felt shocked by the possibility that Arrancar could love.

"I... I knew they could work together sometimes, or even, rarely develop some sense of friendship, but... This... This is just ridiculous" He thought.

Orihime on her part, ached to rush to Ulquiorra's side and heal him immediately, but such an action would be more than risky in that moment.

Ichigo broke the kiss with Nel and softly passed his hand through her cheek.

"I love you..." He replied as well. "Now, can you please bring Ulquiorra to Inoue. I'm sure that she wants to take care of him"

"Yes. I'll do it right away"

He walked to the crowd, with the unquestionable aura of a king.

Every step he took, filled the Arrancar with a mixture of fear, respect and commitment.

Ichigo could especially taste their fear though, which was expected given the fearsome power he had, but he never wanted to give that impression of himself.

Fear might be really powerful, but it doesn't create a bond as strong as respect or camaraderie. He didn't want to be like Barragan for what he'd heard, and even less like Aizen. He wanted to be, like Mugetsu, while still being himself.

"So, um... I'd like to apologize for the ability of my Zanpakutou..." He started saying to everyone. There was no need to act authoritarian, just because of his power it was obvious that nobody would doubt his capability. "As some of you might have heard, I only became an Arrancar a while ago... So I'm still getting used to this power. Also, I'm not really good with words but... I'll do an effort and see if you guys get what I intend to say...

For starters... Though I might have defeated Ulquiorra, I will not kill him. That's because, I have decided that the years of needless deaths in Hueco Mundo must stop. Right now"

The Arrancars' breath stopped in reply, processing what their new king had just stated.

"I am not interested in creating conflict and despair, so I tell all of you who wish to conquer the other realms to disappear from my sight if that's what you expect from me"

Despite the reaction to Ulquiorra's earlier proposal, no Hollow dared to even move.

"Nobody? Well, I won't punish those who don't share my views, really, but I don't want to rule over that kind of people either. That is because, I don't see you as pawns or servants. I want to think of you as partners, mates that work with me towards a brighter future, and I can't work with those of you that only have destruction in your minds...

You see... I want us to construct a society. One where we only fight against those that threaten our existence... And in this specific moment, the Oni have done that. _That_, is something I won't forgive.

As a ruler, I want my first action to be reforming the Espada. I want to ensure the security of the inhabitants of Las Noches, as this must be a place of peace, one where you all can feel safe and work together to make it better, in all aspects.

As Arrancar, there's no reason for us to kill each other, and we don't _need_ to eat other lower Hollows either, and while I know that such an action helps in the task of getting stronger, it is nowhere near the true path to power.

Many of you, won't ever understand what I'm saying. Many of you, were never meant to become Arrancar under normal conditions. Believe me, I know more about that last point that any of you..." He chuckled nervously. "However, the last thing I want is for that so called 'normality' to come back. Is it right to hurt an equal? Is it right to take the life of one another? Many of us are inherently stronger, that's true... But I believe that everyone has something valuable to give. Some of us are good at fighting, some others at thinking, others even at inspiring so... Why reduce it all to the law of the strongest?

My Zanpakutou... Yes, _Las Noches_, has shown me the past. It was one in which Hueco Mundo had flourished. There... This palace used to have plants and water inside it... Arrancar solely existed to fulfill one purpose: become Whole and fill the void inside of them"

Everyone seemed confused by such statement. What was this Arrancar talking about? That is not the life they knew. That was not nearly the world they were born into... It was like he was talking of an altenate reality or something, and yet... It sounded... Good.

"I... I'm not sure you understand what I'm saying" Ichigo chuckled. "After all... I've had the possibility to understand how you guys think. I trained and fought alongside Grimmjow and Harribel when I was still a human... And I fell in love with Nel, an Arrancar just like you all, when I was human as well. They all taught me a lot, about what they thought, what they desired, what were they looking for in life... And the sad thing is... That the answer was... Nothing"

All the Arrancar widened their eyes at that realization. Some of them had existed for decades, yet they had nothing.

"You guys don't know why you exist. Hollows are born and start killing and eating to get stronger... With what purpose? You have nothing to protect. You have nothing to care for. You don't know what it means to love... And that is exactly what our maker wanted us to learn"

As he said that, the attention of the Arrancar seemed to peak. Maker?

"That's right. The Old God that created us, was the God of the moon and the night" He pointed at the moon. "_He_ was the one known as Tsukoyomi. The one who was denied by the Goddess of the sun and the day, Amaterasu. Because of this... He decided that all those souls who were unable to find happiness would become Hollows in the afterlife, which could either be purified or become Whole. The latter, became the objective of Gran Rey Cero, but such a thing never happened... And that was fault of the same Demon that is tormenting us right now. Yama, the ruler of Jigoku"

The Arrancar were shocked by that revelation.

"Yama convinced Susano'o, brother of Tsukoyomi and Amaterasu, as well as enemy of Tsukoyomi... To raid Hueco Mundo and erase the existence of the current Hollow Society. This was because Yama was interested in getting soldiers for his army and Susano'o wanting to erase any trace of Tsukoyomi"

"You gotta be kidding me...!" Ashido thought. "They are like this... Because of someone else? It's not tgeir fault? No... It can't be..." He was in denial.

"That's why... I chose to become Gran Rey Cero. I want to lead you all in this fight against the Oni, and once we are done with that, I want us all to recreate this world, together. We will no longer live in misery, but we won't be making innocent people suffer in order to gain that. Let me know you! Let me be your friend! And mark my words... We will take destiny in our hands..." He rose his white sword. "...And we will be free from the chains that bind us today!"

At first, everyone stood in silence, unable to react to such declarations. In a way, it was all true. They didn't have a purpose or a reason. If it was true or just a lie... Didn't truly matter. One way or another, they were being given an objective. Ichigo was giving a meaning to their empty lives.

In a way, it was no different from Aizen, who gave them the purpose of fighting and defeating the Seireitei. But... There was something that made them polar opposites.

Aizen never interacted with them in a friendly manner because he wanted to be friends with them, it was all an act to manipulate and use them for his own intentions. Ichigo on the other hand, was someone who despite his power was not interested in dominating them. Hell, if he wanted he could just absorb their Reishi until they became nothing. However, Ichigo was the first ruler they had that was truly worried about them.

This was more than just a new experience, it was someone proposing a whole new reality for them. Were they willing to change their ways in order to achieve that new world he was offering them?

A couple seconds after, some shy claps could be heard, only to be joined by the rest little by little, until the whole crowd was doing it and cheering his name.

"Hail our new King... Ichigo-sama!" Pesche yelled.

"All hail Gran Rey Cero!" Dondochakka shouted as well.

Everyone started screaming his name and celebrating energically the rise of a new king.

He could only smile as he heard the people that had chosen him to lead them reacting positively to his best efforts.

Orihime had finished healing Ulquiorra, but he was still out. It was the same with Harribel and Grimmjow.

"Let's head to the palace, Ichigo-sama!" Rudbornn exclaimed, creating Calaveras to help him carry the unconscious Espada as well as create a barrier for Ichigo and Nel so that no Arrancar would get too close.

"Hey, Rudbornn... Is this necessary?" Ichigo asked, a bit uncomfortable.

"Sorry, my king, but it is an important measure, at least right now that everybody is so... Motivated" Rudbornn, who was personally guiding the convoy (despite it being controlled by him anyways), replied.

As soon as they arrived in the Throne Room, the Arrancar present bowed their heads to Ichigo, who was standing besides Nel in front of the throne.

Despite the whole setting, he would not finish the picture as expected.

"I appreciate your dedication, but I won't put my ass in that chair until I've finished my first proposal. Once my friends are awake, we'll start a journey to find any Arrancar that roam the surrounding areas of the palace and bring them here. In the meantime, I want you to do whatever you feel comfortable doing, or well... As long as it's not violence of course, so you're invited to fight each other if it's with training in mind" He clarified. "I'd like to give you a tip, actually. You should try talking more to each other, it helps a lot to understand each other and... It's a great way to pass the time. Don't get me wrong, I know we're not Shinigami or human... But I know that we can at least establish bonds of trust and friendship, so... Do your best. If anyone has any trouble, I'll be glad to help. I am responsible when anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help... I want my hand to be there. I don't know if that is what a king does, and I doubt that is what your previous rulers did... But it is what a king _should _do, and it is what _I_ will do"

The people present cheered for him as he concluded his speech, leaving the Arrancar with total freedom to spend their time.

"You've heard the king. Return to your activities! He and the Espada need to rest in order to start their mission" Rudbornn ordered as he and his clones slowly pushed the people out of the Throne Room.

With the room calm once again, they could go back to their activities.

Everyone was happy about the sudden turn of events, even though it was pretty much planned, no one expected the other Arrancar to accept him so easily.

"See, Ichi? You didn't have to worry so much. It was a success!" Nel happily said in low volume.

"Maybe... But now, I've got a lot more of responsibility" He replied.

"Don't worry about that, man. I think you're better at this than you think" Renji encouraged him.

"You'll be an amazing king, I know!" Nel added hugging him.

"And you'll be a wonderful queen" He replied with a smile, giving her a soft pat on the head. "We must hurry to find the missing members. The Oni Nageki spoke of must already be planning an attack to steal the Heart of Tsukoyomi"

"Yes. We cannot afford to waste any more time" Pesche said.

"We can help you by scouting with Bawabawa" Dondochakka added.

"That's a good idea, Dondochakka" Ichigo replied. "Now... Where is everybody?"

"Well, Orihime is with the three Espada, cause they haven't woken up yet"

"I see... And what about Rukia?"

"Well, about that..." Renji seemed troubled. "She and the three Fracciones of Harribel are looking for Ashido"

"What? Did he run away?" Nel asked worried.

"I don't know if it's that or if he wanted to go for a walk alone or somethin'. Maybe, some time to think, you know? He seemed a bit troubled being surrounded by so many Arrancar..."

"Well, it wouldn't be strange if that was the case. He must be pretty confused with all that's happening. I am very surprised to see the reactions of the Arrancar, in fact" He replied. "Still... I don't think it's a good idea leaving him alone for too long. His mind might be quite unstable, so who knows what he could do if he was in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

"That's true..." Nel agreed. "But I think the best we could do is hope for those four to find him. He can't have gone too far, right?"

"I don't know about that..." Renji frowned. "Last time we came here, Las Noches was on sight from a pretty long distance. As long as he has that, he can go pretty much anywhere..."

"That _is_ a problem... But, let's just hope nothing bad happens... I'm sure that Rukia and those three will find him soon" Ichigo concluded. "I'd really like to look for him myself, but to tell the truth... I'm beat. I think I'll go have some sleep" He yawned.

"Go, man. You deserve it..." Renji yawned as well. "It wouldn't do me any bad either... Grimmjow really made me push my limits you know? Poor guy... All that effort for nothing"

"But you did so much as well... Doesn't it make you feel bad?" Nel asked him.

"Nah, I expected something like that... Though I never even imagined that Ulquiorra would be the one" Renji admitted.

"Neither did I... But, I know his intentions" Ichigo smiled. "At first, I was really confused, and it bothered me that he put you guys at risk again... But I know that he did that to force me, otherwise I would've never used half of that strength..."

"You were so troubled by the idea of fighting Tier yesterday..." Nel remembered. "You could say Ulquiorra saved the day in that sense"

"He did make things easier for me... But I can't say that his actions were the best. I am willing to forgive him because of the way things sorted out though"

"Don't be so harsh on him... I spoke with Inoue-san and I know that he only wanted to help you" Nel tried to defend him.

"I'll have a word with him once he wakes up, but in no case I'm planning to punish him. I... I guess I already did that with that attack of mine..." He admitted that blasting a _Cero Medianoche _from point blank range was excessive.

"Oh, now that you mention it... I had never seen a _Cero_ like that... How did you do it?" Nel asked him.

"I don't know, actually. I remember how Ulquiorra said that _Cero Oscuras _was a power only usable by Espada in their _Resurrección_, so I thought I'd try it in my own transformation, but I guess something different came out of my mind when I tried it. In fact, I never saw any of you three using a black _Cero_, despite the fact that you are all Espada and know _Resurrección_"

"Hum... I guess that's because I've never relied so much on _Cero_ to begin with... It made me feel..." She seemed a bit uneasy. "...Hollow"

"Oh... I see..." Ichigo thought that it made sense.

If one thought about it, they all had reasons not to use such an ability. Grimmjow clearly preferred to use _Gran Rey Cero _because of his fixation with the throne. Harribel always used her water-based attacks as they were more destructive and covered a larger area, her _Cero Volcánico_ being the exception. Finally, Nelliel didn't due to her aversion towards the most basic Hollow behaviour. In the end, Ulquiorra seemed to be by far the most fond of the attack.

"But...! I did use my _Cero Doble_ on a _Gran Rey Cero Oscuras!"_

"Really, whe-? Ah... That must've been when..." He could guess easily.

"Yeah... If I hadn't swallowed it... Ulquiorra..."

"He would've probably killed you..." He bitterly concluded.

"Ichigo... I'm sure he didn't mean to do it"

"Of course not...!" He said ironically. "It's not like he was willing to kill you in order to force my awakening... Right? No... I thought that I could forgive all his bullshit but this is too much. If it wasn't for your ability... You'd be gone, Nel"

"But maybe he knew about it! Nnoitra must have told him something..."

"Even so... What if you had been unable to swallow an attack of that magnitude? He clearly took the risk anyway!"

"Hey, Ichigo... Calm down. You said you would forgive him, didn't you?" Renji tried to make him reason as well.

"I did, but I never imagined that..."

"Enough, Ichigo. You became Gran Rey Cero thanks to him, whatever mehods he used are not important right now!" Nel wanted him to stop with that.

"*sigh* You're right, Nel. And you too, Renji. Sorry for losing it. I just... Can't take seeing or knowing you were in danger"

"I know, but that's why I'm sure he knew. He's too worried about you to kill me. I'm sure he knows how miserable that would make you..."

"Still, I think it is necessry that I have a word with him. I... I think I've been putting a barrier every time we spoke before so, I haven't really given him a chance to open up. I really want to understand him, and I wish we could fight together in the future so... I must give it a try, a real one this time"

"Go for it. I'm sure he's a lot more accessible than we think. Otherwise, Inoue-san wouldn't be so fond of him" Nel pointed out.

"I'll go talk to him once he's awake. Right now, I gotta take that nap I mentioned. I need it"

"I'll go with you!" Nel giggled as she grabbed him by the arm. "I mean... You won't sleep so well without your favorite pillows" She whispered.

"Ahahahaha..." He blushed as he laughed nervously. "Guess I can't deny that... See you later, Renji!"

"Yeah, have a good rest. I should have one myself..." He left the room as well.

~~~~X~~~~

**It was really complex writing this Chapter because of all the assumptions and setting I had to make. This is due to the fact that the Arrancar in general had never had a positive leader aside from Harribel, who we don't see so much in the Manga after Karakura to be honest. The same with Ichigo, he has never been in a situation where he is the one prominent leader of a large group, not officially at least, so I tried to develop that side of him. Someone just, friendly and not unnecessarily polite or using complicated words. More like, just Ichigo trying to act as responsible as he possibly can.**

**In the end, I hope I was able to make something credible, coherent, and overall, enjoyable. If there's something that bothers me is reading stuff I don't believe because of lack of consistency, but that's just me. In case someone feels that this doesn't really evoke the behaviour of Arrancar (or Ichigo as ruler) and feels like the descriptions don't really match this, I'd be glad to discuss it and do the right adjustments.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Another excellent chapter! And my, my! You keep surprising me over and over! So it seems that even though Harribel is a good opponent in her own right, she still won't match up to Ichigo, thus Ulquiorra steps in? How fascinating! I also see what he's doing. He's purposefully riling up Ichigo so he'll come at him with the intent to kill and prove his strength as ruler no doubt..._**

**_Also enjoyed how Orihime confessed her love to Ulquiorra. Although I wonder...if she and Ulquiorra are a match, will both become Wholes? But then, Orihime is human and not Arrancar. Unless you plan on changing that down the line?_**

**_I also liked how even though it is brief in this chapter, Ashido's entire perspective of the world he once knew has changed so much! It'd be a hard pill to swallow; even for me. But yea. Overall, good chapter! See ya next update!_**

**Reply: Always doing my best to surprise my readers, though it seems his actions were easily understood.**

**Now, with the UlquiHime... Yeah, Wholes cannot be created between an Arrancar and another species because of the link between them. So... That will either never happen or maybe... Things will move towards that direction... I've already decided that long ago though, fufufu****...**

**Finally, Ashido's development was rather quick, but this is because of a couple reasons. First of all, his Shinigami friends are telling him to trust these Arrancar as Aizen is no longer controlling them. Then, we have the fact that the Tres Bestias really care a lot about him, and while he might be more than a little dense as to why, he has felt their selfless desire to help him. Even so, in this Chapter he's far too shocked to simply move along the same page as the other characters who have already accepted these changes, and because of that, he needs a bit of space in order to be able to truly accept it all through a moment of introspection.**

**See you all next Chapter! Evhron out.**

**Glossary:**

**_Cero Luna_: Moon Cero. Special white Cero only usable by _Etapa Final_ level Espadas.**

**_Revolución del Relámpago_: Lightning's Revolution.**

**_Tormenta de Murciélago_: Storm of bat. Based on Ulquiorra's 3rd Anniversary version ultimate attack.**

**_Lanza Relámpago Muerto: _Deadbolt Lance.**

**_Cero Medianoche_:Midnight Cero. Special Cero, only usable by Ichigo in his _Resurrección_.**


	24. The Gift Of Guilt

"*sigh* How did this happen?" Ashido muttered to himself as he continued roaming aimlessly through that desert of absurdity.

He had left everyone else when Ichigo was accepted as king by the other Arrancar. It had been easy given the situation.

He didn't really think about it at the moment. He just wanted to find a way out.

He was already feeling strange since the moment a void opened up in his lower chest. It was simply impossible for him to put into words.

Even more confusing was the fact that the three female Arrancar that were directly under the previous Queen of Hueco Mundo were so friendly towards him.

At first, he really enjoyed their company. Despite the fact that their relationship seemed to be constantly dysfunctional, the three were always trying their best to help him accept his metamorphosis.

However, such behaviour made him feel even worse once he remembered the way in which he annihilated so many Hollows.

"They could've been... Just like them if given the chance" He thought, remembering all the Arrancar he had seen during this time.

His blind justice had always been one-sided. No matter how many Hollows he killed, they would still appear on the Human World and wreak havoc. On the other hand, there was a possibility that he extinguished creatures that under different circumstances could've been his friends.

Of course, it was impossible for him to know such a fate was awaiting him, but even so, his guilt made him cast away this idea, replacing it with one single thought:

"I am the worst"

Still, his current journey wasn't meant to be a punishment. All he wanted now, was find a reason to keep fighting. Even if Demons were threatening his friends and the new world he lived in, did they really need him? He believed himself to be just a weakling in comparison to them anyways.

All the comrades that had died during those years were long gone. There was no reason to keep a senseless and fruitless promise like that at this point.

"...But even if I never kill Hollows again, how will I be able to look at their eyes? Sure, they normally eat each other, but... For what they told me, they were never that kind of Hollow to begin with. That woman, Harribel, she was an admirable leader. They were all loyal to her ideals and beliefs... Despite the cruel world they were born and raised in"

He kept digressing over and over as his feet moved through the pale dunes, leaving lines in the sand as proof of his drifting.

He had gone for so long, that the palace was starting to look small and blurry.

In fact, even the white desert seemed to slowly change into a more rocky landscape. This one had various shades of red, orange and yellow. It had a special beauty actually. A place that despite its infinite loneliness, seemed to have a life of its own. One that was originated from the very artistic view the place had. The environment, as he advanced, turned out to be a collection of canyons with beautiful lines along them.

Unknown to him, he had arrived at an important point of interest in Hueco Mundo: the Carved Desert Canyons.

He enjoyed passing his fingers through the rocky surfaces as he continued to behold the natural wonder that was in that world.

"I never imagined that there was something more ahead of that desert and dark forest... This world is a lot more interesting that I thought"

It called his attention that in this place, however, there was literally no life. The desert had insects and Menos roaming once in a while. On the other hand, the canyons didn't even seem to have those basics forms of life in its landscapes.

Instead, only corpses seemed to rot in the ancient rocky wonder.

"What's with this place...?" He thought as he continued to find no trace of other entities in the area, a bit worried to only find carcasses.

In spite of that permanent void sensation, he was surprised to sense a tiny Reiatsu, possibly because of the distance.

"Is that...?" He wondered as he moved towards the source, deeper into the canyons.

He didn't know if it was his sense of sorrow or the feeling of solitude, but he was suddenly drawn towards that sign, hopeful of finding company.

Maybe, it was the idea of talking to a stranger. Someone who wouldn't judge him, and, even if it did, it wouldn't really matter.

"What am I thinking...?" He asked himself with a chuckle as he realized the stupidity of such thought. "...It's probably going to be some wild Menos or something. I doubt that even as an Arrancar I can communicate effecticely with a being like that"

Even so, just because of curiosity, he decided to find out what the being that emitted said energy was.

He was even more amazed when he realized that the pressure was growing stronger as he approached its source.

"What is this...? It is a lot more powerful that I thought it would be..."

This time, he unconsciously started moving faster towards it. He didn't care about it being dangerous or suspivious in some way, all he wanted was uncover the mystery of the single presence living inside that marvelous yet dubious landscape.

Step by step, the pressure only grew stronger. Ashido could tell that it was a lot weaker than the one he had sensed from Harribel and, of course, Ulquiorra earlier that day, but it was a power that definitely surpassed his own and Ayon's.

It all seemed to lead to one single place. A perfectly flat plateau that was taller than most of the cairns and rock towers that surrounded him.

He climbed the structure with an unbreakable willpower. For the first time, in fact, he could appreciate the fact that he had become a Hollow, being able to easily carve his hands inside the rock thanks to his Hierro.

"As a Soul Reaper this would've been a lot harder..." He thought, steadily scaling the summit.

As he reached it, he marveled himself at the vantage point, from where he could view the Carved Desert Canyons in all their beauty.

He couldn't help but smile at the sight he had earned, almost forgetting the reason he had reached that plateau in the first place.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" A soft voice said, instantly reminding him.

Ashido instinctly moved away from the voice, turning around to see the figure that was standing beside him. The owner of the great power that had lead him there.

"What the-?" He asked, trying to keep his composure, which was almost impossible given the difference in power he could sense. Only then did he realize that the pressure he had been following had disappeared.

"Oh... Sorry if I startled you. I felt an Arrancar's Reiatsu approaching so I thought of hiding my true power when that person got here. You're the first I've seen in a long time..." It was a female.

She looked like a young woman. Mid-length greenish-blonde hair, pale skin and light pink eyes with eye bags, probably due to oversleeping. She was wearing a white pair of pants and a jacket of the same color, piece of cloth that reminded him of an Espada, and it was open, letting him see that the Arrancar in fact had a developed body, having a bust of a size between Apacci and Mila Rose. She didn't seem bothered by her outfit though, as it managed to cover most of her breasts.

What gave out her race, was the Hollow Hole positioned in the center of her stomach, as well as her mask, shaped like a helmet with two horns, though one was broken. Her left eye was covered by the mask and had a red mark like a flame on it.

"The first... Arrancar?" Ashido asked back.

"The first person. I haven't seen a single Arrancar or Shinigami. Ever since I woke up in this place, there's been no one to talk to. Adjuchas and lower level Hollows die in the radius of my Reiatsu so... I had no other choice than to resign and live here in solitude" She explained, with an expressionless voice, but somehow tainted with melancholy.

"You woke up here? Like out of nowhere?" Ashido became curious.

"Yes. I... I don't know why, but that's the way it goes"

"But you _are_ able to communicate, and have basic knowledge about Hueco Mundo as well..."

"Yes. That's because I used to be a Fracción..."

"Really? Of an Espada?"

"Yeah..." Her mood seemed to become sadder as she sighed affirmatively.

"Then... Of whom?" He decided to inquire.

However, his decision didn't seem to be the most assertive. The girl hugged her legs and buried her face in them.

"I..." Her voice broke. "I have no idea...!" She started sobbing.

"Dammit... It seems like I shouldn't have asked that" He thought, feeling bad after making the girl miserable, even though it was impossible for him to know. "And even now, I continue to do more damage..."

"I've been here for a long time... I don't know how much exactly, but... Nothing's changed! I decided to stay, cause... Something tells me that the person that used to be with me will come back... So I decided to stay here until that happened"

"It seems like a case of amnesia" He thought. "Do you... Remember your name?"

"No. I just know that I used to be a Fracción. The rest is all just scattered info. It's like my mind was emptied of important memories but not of knowledge. I do recall many things, like a man named Aizen... As well as... A city. The last thing I remember was that city"

"I see... Well, I'm sorry but I don't know how to help you"

"Don't worry. Having someone to talk to is good enough" She seemed to almost smile, but stayed serious afterwards. "Where did you come from?"

"I used to live in the Forest of Menos, but I was found by a couple friends, as well as a group of Arrancar..." He said that while still treating the last as a species he didn't feel affiliated with. "...So, I ended up in Las Noches. Do you remember anything about it?"

"Yes. It was a big Palace. It's where I used to live, but... When I try to think about it, the faces of those that used to live there with me seem blank"

"That sucks..." Ashido started feeling related to this Arrancar. In the end, while their reasons were not the same, they were both miserable, so he could understand the feeling.

"Yeah... But honestly, I wouldn't care about them. What makes me sad... Is the fact that I can't remember the face of _my_ Espada. He was always with me, he always took care of me..." She almost could get a glimpse of the shadow hidden somewhere in her mind, but was unable. "We had our disagreements, of course, but we always had fun when we had the other. Now... I am just alone. But I still have the hope... That he'll either appear right here or that he'll come to this place, looking for me"

"So they can feel hope and loneliness as well..." Ashido muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing. I was just talking to myself"

"Ah... Why did you come to this place? Like... It's pretty far away from where you come. Are you running away?"

"No, no. I just... Wanted some time to think and... Get used to a new situation I'm dealing with right now"

"Really? What happened...? In case you don't mind sharing of course..." The girl seemed interested.

"Well... It's difficult to explain in one go, but, basically... I once lost a group of friends to an enemy group and I... swore on their grave that I would destroy them... And so my life consisted of that for many years"

"A vow of revenge" She said.

"Yeah... But one day... I met a new group of people who became my friends in the forest. We got separated for a while, but I got to see them again yesterday"

"Really? That sounds great. It's rare to find Hollows that have friends, you must be one of a kind"

"Well, I think that way of thinking is where my problems start. It turns out that these friends became allies of the enemies I had swore vengeance upon... And in a way, I was forced to interact with them and now... Everything I thought about those people turned out to be... Wrong. I thought, like you, that such people could never have friends or do anything other than killing endlessly, but they even care for me, even knowing what I've done to their kind"

"Wow... It is realy complicated after all" She agreed.

"Yeah. Honestly, the thing that bothers me the most is not _them_, you know? It is the unconditional support they give me. I... I don't feel deserving of such kindness. It's like I'm suddenly one of them, but that's just impossible from my point of view"

"But then... Is there nothing you can do in order to be worthy of their friendship, in your eyes?" She proposed as solution.

"Not as far as I can see at least. I murdered their kind because of an empty promise and now I see how wrong I was. Like, they didn't have any idea of what they were doing, but _we_ were when we came here... _I've_ been aware of my actions the whole time, and that leaves me at fault"

"And what about... Telling them this?"

"What?"

"What you just told me. Maybe, if you make yourself clear, they will be able to express their emotions and thoughts. I wouldn't recommend this on normal Arrancar, but... You seem to be harmless in comparison to them"

"Heh, really? I wonder why that would be..." He chuckled, knowing perfectly well that he wasn't one in essence.

"So... Would you try?"

"It's a very simple solution, now that I think about it. I have no idea how they are going to react, but... I guess it's worth a try"

The girl smiled at him, feeling glad that she was of some help.

"Are you heading back now?" She asked, starting to feel a bit sad that she would go back to her loneliness.

"I guess, but not _right_ now. I want to enjoy this scenery for a while longer..." Ashido replied, looking at the canyon, only to discover a group of shadows approaching in the distance. "No way..."

"Those are... Your friends?" She asked, impressed that she would see so many people that day, after literally seeing no one ever since she lost her memory.

"I think... It's them" There were four people. "Would you prefer if I left with them so that they don't see you?"

"Aizen is no more, right?" The girl asked. She imagined it, cause otherwise, he would've probably looked for her. She remembered how interested he was in strong Arrancar, despite being unable to see his face in her mind. "Cause I don't want to return to his ranks..."

"No. He was defeated and sealed. Actually... A friend of mine is now king"

"Really? Who is he?"

"His name is... Kurosaki Ichigo"

The girl seemed to remember hearing said name, but it didn't make her mind clear either.

"He must be really strong..." She commented.

"Indeed. He is the most powerful man I've ever seen"

Before their conversation could continue, a pillar of ice rose to the same height of the plateau.

"Wow, Rukia has gotten really strong" Ashido thought.

From the ice pillar, the four girls jumped into the plateau.

"Ashido!!!" The Tres Bestias approached him.

He felt guilty once again. They had followed his steps and gone through that tremendous distance just to reach him.

"Hi..." He sighed with difficulty.

"Why did you run off?" Rukia asked him, worried.

"Yeah, we looked everywhere for you!" Apacci said. "We're so lucky that Mila Rose was able to trace your scent!"

"H-Hey!" The face of the dark skinned woman got of a bright red tone. "I just... Happened to detect it..."

"But... Ashido-san... What happened?" Sung-Sun asked him with a cute expression that mixed both despair and worry, that only made him feel worse.

"I..." He was building up courage to keep his word to the stranger he had just met.

However, he was interrupted.

"What the...? Hey, Mila Rose! Apacci!" Sung-Sun called their attention.

"Who is that Arrancar?" Rukia wondered as well, not nearly grasping the Arrancar's discovery.

"Huh? Who are you? You seem... Familiar..." The lonely girl tried to remember.

"Is that... Who I think it is...?" Mila Rose asked.

"No no no. She died. Harribel-sama confirmed it. Besides, this girl looks a lot bigger than her, right?" Apacci was in denial, but only because there was no possibility for _that_ girl to be alive inside her mind, and also because she was jealous of her proportions and the fact that she was with Ashido.

"Ha...rribel. I know that name. She was an Espada!" She was able to remember her face. "Yeah, Tres Espada! She was so pretty and always hard-working and serious... Not a lazy ass like..." Her eyes were filled with tears as she was unable to remember the name of the shadow that haunted her.

"Apacci. It is her" Sung-Sun replied

"Maybe, Starrk is around...?" Apacci said, clueless as to what that would trigger.

As soon as she said that, they felt how an Arrancar increased its pressure violently and with no control whatsoever.

"St...arrk? Starrk... Starrk. Starrk...!" She could finally see his face. She could finally remember it all. She could finally hear:

_"Oi, Lilynette"_

No matter how much she waited. Starrk would not come.

"SSSSTAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRKKKK!!!!!!!!!!" The girl screamed, making the ground around her shake. The flatland was breaking into pieces as her Reiatsu increased.

"Oh no..." Ashido muttered as Lilynette became as unstable as possible due to her memories flashing back.

"What's going on?!" Rukia asked confused, getting ready for the worst case scenario.

The Tres Bestias were all clinging onto Ashido feom the moment Lilynette started screaming, all cowering in fear.

"She seemed to have lost her memory... You three know her?!" Ashido asked the others in shock.

"She was the only Fracción of the previous Primera Espada!" Apacci explained in a rush.

"But Starrk had died, and so had she!" Mila Rose added.

"Well that doesn't seem to be the case!" Sung-Sun pointed out.

"Is there something we can do to calm her?!" Rukia wanted to find a solution.

"No idea!!!" The three replied.

"If she continues like this... I'll have no choice but to freeze her in order to keep the others safe" Rukia thought, not wanting to end up doing that, as it could be too much for tye Arrancar to handle. Her freezing capability was a lot tougher than it used to be.

Ashido could only look as everything seemed to collapse around him.

He had only killed Hollows his whole life and now... He had to find a way to save the first Arrancar friend he had made on his own. He wanted her to smile like she had done before, proving once again to him that a Hollow could feel. He wanted to protect the three girls that tried their best to cheer him up and that taught him all he needed to know about being a Hollow.

"What can I do?!" He asked himself.

"Ash..." He could hear a faint voice in his mind. "Ashido..."

He concentrated on it. It was clearly trying to say something.

"Ashido... Use your blade..." The voice said. It was a bestial male voice.

"No! I won't kill her! I want to save her!" He replied angrily.

"Fool... You don't even know what your power is for and you're already bashing it. But then again... What could I expect from a master whose aspect of death is none other than _Guilt__?__"_

"Aspect... Of death?" Ashido remembered the words of Apacci.

_"...Some Arrancar have an aspect of death linked to their Zanpakutou. These tend to be the ones destined to become Espada, in fact!__"_

"So... I have the potential to become... An Espada?" He couldn't believe it.

"Yes... Your frustrated revenge as well as your constant despise for both yourself and your new body seem so strong... That you developed a very interesting power" The beast said, not revealing its appearance.

"Tch... So what? You want me to use your power?"

"No. I want you to use _your_ power. I'm just a placeholder, Ashido. You're the only one who's in control... At least for now, hahaha"

"Whatever. If it is what I need to save them all... Give me the command. I know that's how it works"

"Very well. Here goes a lil' riddle for you... What does an executioner do...?"

"Such bad taste... I miss _Kokuran_" Ashido remembered the female spirit of his Shinigami sword.

"Welp, she's dead. Now _I_ am your Zanpakutou!"

"*sigh* No choice then..." He returned to the real world, immediatwly feeling how Lilynette's pressure was only rising even further. It was as if she was going to explode.

He never considered himself a person of knowledge, so he was not sure if the Arrancar could commit soul suicide by accident, but he would not take the risk.

"Decapitate... _**Cuernavaca**!"_

Ashido could feel how his sword disappeared, changing his appearance and increasing his Reiatsu exponentially.

His body was growing a bit on size, but more importantly, his hands and feet turned into fierce claws made out of bone. On his body, pointy horns grew from random places, probably because of his inability to control his own power. His back grew a furry cape with various Hollow skulls engraved, as well as many long white horns. Finally, his head was covered by a demonic cow's skull, leaving only a turquoise shine in the spot where his eyes should be.

"Ashido used... _Resurrección?!"_ Mila Rose was surprised.

"Lilynette! I know we just met... But I know that we can help you!" Ashido yelled, trying to reach her with his voice, to no avail.

Lilynette continued to increase and release her Reiatsu dangerously, screaming frantically the name of her lost half.

"It didn't work!" Sung-Sun said.

"Dammit!" Rukia cursed, ready to use her Zanpakutou before Lylinette blew herself to pieces along with them in her inability to control herself.

"No, Rukia! There's something I can do..." Ashido approached the Arrancar girl, slowly getting close despite the pressure.

"What might be the nature of his power?" Apacci wondered, very curious.

Ashido managed to put his skeletal hand Lilynette's shoulder, saying: _"Chupacabras"_

Rukia sensed how the girl's Reiatsu started going down.

"Could it be...?" She remembered Ashido's Shinigami Zanpakutou. "...That his power simply adapted to his new form?"

In fact, Ashido was able to absorb Lilynette's Reishi with that ability. However, that was not what he was aiming for when he decided to use such a technique.

The decrease in her Reiatsu slowly brought her back to her senses, to the point in which she was not screaming in panic. Then, Ashido stopped, and went back to his normal form as he wasn't able to keep his _Resurrección _for too long

"Lilynette... That's your name isn't it?" Ashido said in a neutral manner, trying to calm her.

"Y-Yes..." She weakly replied, still shaken by the sudden breakdown she suffered.

"Do you remember... Everything?" He asked to make sure.

"Yeah..." She replied, clutching her arm in sign of embarrassment. "I am Liliynette Gingerbuck. Previous companion of the 1st Espada, Coyote Starrk..."

"He died, didn't he?" Ashido knew what the answer was, but he wanted her to accept it.

The Tres Bestias expected her to be in complete denial.

Lilynette's lips shivered for a moment, only for her to reply:

"Yes. Starrk died at the hands of a Shinigami Captain in the battle of Karakura" She accepted it.

"But then... Why?" Apacci tried to find the best way to ask, but Lilynette understood her intentions.

"I can't remember that part clearly, as I was pretty weak myself. My existence was on the brink of ending when I heard something faint..."

_"Lilynette... I know that you're giving your all to help me. I know, you are willing to die in order for me to survive but... Enough is enough. There is no point in this fight anymore... There is no reason for you to die, so..."_

_"Starrk?" Lilynette asked, in the form of the last wolf in Starrk's pack._

_"__...Go ahead and live for me" He smiled as he deposited almost all of his power in Lilynette and threw her inside a direct Garganta made with Descorrer, directing a Caja Negación at her so that she wouldn't try anything._

_"Starrk!!!" She screamed as she was sent into the hermetic realm._

_Once she exited it, she would be in the Carved Canyon's plateau, the place whe__re they stayed for a long time after the original Arrancar they were was split into two._

Lylinette started crying as she remembered. She may had had an adult form, but mentally, she was almost the same as a child. It seemed that Starrk's power had made her a lot calmer and more lazy though.

"Starrk never wanted me to die. He even went as far as to use one of those boxes Aizen gave the Espada just to make sure that I wouldn't go back and avenge him!"

"Lilynette..." Sung-Sun said comprehensively.

"I... I just wanted to die fighting alongside him. We were born together so... Why couldn't we die together as well?!"

"Because that wasn't what Starrk wished for you" Mila Rose said. "If he went that far, it is because he wished for you to continue living"

"But... What kind of life is this? One of boredom and loneliness?"

And that question, along with everything he had gone through right now, made Ashido finally understand why he was still alive.

"No" Ashido replied. "One of mystery and opportunity. You have no idea what this new life awaits for you..." Everyone was surprised by his answer. "At first, I thought becoming a Hollow was worse than being dead... Can you imagine that? But now... After knowing the right people..." He smiled at the Tres Bestias. "...You can finally start to grasp the big picture. We don't know what the future awaits us, but as long as you have friends by your side... There is no greater joy than finding out!" He pat Lilynette's head, making her blush a bit.

"Ashido... That means...!" Rukia became happy.

"Yeah. I'm glad I became a Hollow. In fact, I'll thank Ichigo as soon as I see him" Ashido looked happier than ever before. "You should come with us, Lilynette. That way you won't be alone anymore"

"Really? You really mean it...?" She also looked at the Tres Bestias.

"Well of course! Heheh" Apacci laughed nervously due to the danger she had meant moments earlier.

"That makes me so happy...!" She started crying again, now out of happiness. "Oh and... I'm so sorry for what I did... I just couldn't take that...!"

"Don't sweat it. It's understandable after all you've been through" Mila Rose stopped her. "Though if you wanna pay us back... How about a little spar?" She couldn't contain her urge to fight much longer.

"Don't be ridiculous. A gorilla and an Espada are leagues away from each other" Sung-Sun mocked her.

"You little...!" Mila Rose grinned with rage, wanting to hit the snake Arrancar.

"Anyway... It seems that this was a complete success" Rukia concluded. "Not only is Ashido happy with his new life, but he also made a friend powerful enough to become a part of the Espada!"

"Wait... Aizen's gone, but the Espada still exist?" Lilynette asked.

"Harribel-sama had abandoned the idea of reforming them, since anyone with potential was either dead or out of reach..." Apacci explained.

"However, Ichigo-sama has decided to put them back in action. I don't know if you noticed Lilynette, but everyone in Las Noches and its close surroundings was attacked by the Oni" Sung-Sun replied.

"No... But I felt something odd happen about a week ago, as well as a kind of Reiatsu I had never felt before. Despite that... I chose not to interfere. I didn't feel safe" Lilynette revealed.

"It's understandable. Not even you would've been a match for those bastards, not in your current state at least. But don't worry, Ichigo is gonna make sure you're all in top condition to fight the remaining Oni"

Liliynette's look seemed to be more worried now. She wasn't sure that she wanted to go with them if she was gonna face such danger.

"Lilynette" Ashido called her attention. "I know that it might be risky joining us under these circumstances, but honestly, if the Oni achieve their goals, no one will be safe. If anything's gonna happen, it's way better knowing that you have people you can rely on"

"Oh... You're right about that" She replied, thinking a bit afterwards. "If I wanna honour Starrk's final wish, guess I should try making as many friends as possible!" She giggled.

"That settles it then" Rukia smiled.

"Let's go home!" The Tres Bestias said in unison.

"Yeah!" Lilynette happily replied.

"By the way... How did you...?" Emilou Apacci seemed bothered to ask, but couldn't let that be. "You know... Grow so much?"

"Oh... I'm not sure. Probably my little childish body couldn't contain all that power so it matured... But I don't remember that to be honest" She replied.

"What? Are you jealous, Apacci?" Mila Rose grinned.

"No?! I'm just... Amused" She lied.

Sung-Sun just sighed.

"And what are you sighing for?! You clearly have the smallest rack!" Apacci attacked the snake-girl.

"Humph! Just because I don't dress myself in lewd outfits doesn't mean that I have less to be proud of. In fact, I think you're clearly the loser, Apacci"

"Yeah, right..." She said flustered. "This is not even close to lewd..."

The three continued fighting in the horizon as Ashido, Rukia and Lilynette took the lead.

"How can you stand being with them for so long?" Rukia asked Ashido, impressed that the previous Hollow-Hunter was able to even enjoy their company.

"It's not easy getting used to it, but once you do, you automatically ignore them once they get like this" He explained.

"Now that I think about it, Harribel-san used to do that as well" Lilynette recalled.

"You two have a patience worthy of admiration" Rukia commented about Harribel and Ashido.

"If you say so... Though I gotta say that after being so many years hearing only screams, growls and distorted voices, it's almost joyful hearing them, even when they fight" He smiled, revealing that he actually found happiness in such a bothersome behaviour.

"I was wondering how weren't you completely insane after all those years of solitude... I guess you were mad all along" Rukia teased him.

"Maybe I am. But I'm happy I met them, just like I'm happy I encountered you back then, and even more after you kept your promise" He said, making her blush.

"Well... That's what friends are for, aren't they?" She replied.

"Yeah. I hope my friends back in the Forest can forgive me..."

"You've done nothing wrong, Ashido, you just opened you eyes. We all have in the past few weeks, in fact, and something tells me we all have a lot more to learn..."

Behind them, Lilynette was playing with her new properties, now that she finally took it into account.

"Poke, poke, poke... Ah! It's so weird now that I have these...!" She yelled as her face got a shade of pink.

"...Though I wasn't referring to that" Rukia said with annoyance.

"Kgh... Ahahahahahaha!" Ashido chuckled and then burst into laughter for the first time since he left Soul Society.

It hadn't been easy, but now he was starting to appreciate the new world he had in his hands.

He could finally say that he was happy of being alive.

~~~~X~~~~

During nighttime (cause it's always night in Hueco Mundo) a pair of jade eyes opened up in the healing room.

"Ah... Inoue" He smiled a bit.

"Cifer-kun!" She happily said his name as she held his hand. She really wanted to kiss him, but it felt so weird having Harribel and Grimmjow in the same room as well, even if they were asleep. "How are you feeling now?"

"Good. All my limbs are restored, and there is neither physical nor psychological distress in my being"

"That's... Great!" She giggled at the technical way in which he described his current state.

"So, Ichigo-sama became king, didn't he?"

"Yes, and thanks to you, he didn't have to fight neither of his friends" Orihime said, realizing the other meaning behind that phrase. "Oh... Sorry. I didn't mean that...!"

"I know. But it's true. I'm not his friend, and I doubt I'll ever be... That would be asking too much"

"I'm sure that it will happen, someday. Just give it some time, and try not to do more shady stuff, though I completely understand why you did it this time"

"Really?" He asked, his eyes shining as they beheld her. "Heh. I begin to understand what you meant by trusting others. Somehow, I felt better this time, just because I knew I wasn't the only one that knew of the plan"

"See? Everything's better when you have more people by your side!" She cheerfully said. "Although... A couple things are only meant to be shared by two" She finally decided to do it, softly pressing her lips against his.

"Inoue..." He was surprised by how straightforward that was.

But unfortunately for them, it wasn't precisely the best moment.

"What the...?!" Ichigo's jaw dropped.

Orihime's expression of happiness changed into worry.

The ex-Shinigami approached them in a completely disoriented state.

"Inoue... Ulquiorra... What the fuck?!"

"Ichigo! You... You see... It-It's not his fault! I...!"

"No, Ichigo-sama. I seduced her, so it's all my fault" He clearly lied.

Due to the obvious dishonesty of the Espada, Ichigo knew that it had been Orihime the one to take the first step.

"*sigh* How long?" He facepalmed.

"What...?" She didn't seem to get the question.

"For how long have you been in love with him? This surely isn't a 'love at first sight' kind of thing, and you clearly wanted to keep seeing him. That's why you came here, or are you so faceless to claim I'm wrong?"

"Ichigo... Why are you so upset? I know I didn't tell you but... This isn't something I could say so easily!"

"Because I'm your friend, Inoue. Was it so hard to tell me the _actual_ reason you came to Hueco Mundo?"

"No... I guess not..." She sighed with sorrow. "But what about you?"

"Huh? What's that?" He asked back.

"Throughout all these years, I felt something for you, Kurosaki Ichigo! Especially after the incident with Sora... I did everything to help you, to be of use to you, to show you that I could be by your side! And... I understand. I understand that you simply, never saw me as anything more than a friend..." She started crying. "I understand that... You never loved me the same way I loved you... But I... I decided to move on. I decided to let you go and I even went as far as to support both you and Nel cause I know that she's the best woman you could ever find!" She weeped. "And yet... You were never able to say it. It would've been so much easier if you'd just told me the truth before. But instead, I kept building up hope like a foolish little girl, believing there was a possibility that you could love me..."

"But, how was I supposed to know?"

"How?! It was written all over my face!"

"Maybe, but you never said..."

"Ichigo" She started using his normal name. "I really appreciate how much you care for your friends and everything you've done for us. However, you never made an effort to try to understand us. Sure, we could've just told you everything that was on our minds... But a true friend's supposed to be able to tell without a need for that. On the other hand... Ulqui-kun, despite being the emptiest Arrancar I've seen, is still trying his best to understand not only his heart but _ours_ as well!"

"And here we go again with poor little Ulquiorra..."

Despite being mentioned, the Arrancar decided to remain silent and just witness the encounter neutrally.

"What's your problem with Ulquiorra?!" Now she was angry. "Can't you see he's done everything so that you would become powerful enough to face the Demon King? He suffers, Ichigo. He is miserable because of the way you despise him, and even worse, he feels deserving of that" Orihime continued.

"Inoue... He has made_ our_ friends suffer many times. If it was part of his plan or not is irrelevant. The end doesn't justify the means!" Ichigo replied

"No, but you should have a bit of humanity left in that Hollow Hole and at least _try_ to forgive him. I thought you had back in the training grounds, but your behaviour right now leaves clear that such isn't the case"

"Tch..." He couldn't deny it. Orihime was right. Not only that, but Nel had told him as well, to try to understand the Espada better. Yet, he had forgotten it all once he saw that he was interested in a lot more than just the heart of Orihime.

Was it possible that he was... Jealous?

"Instead of grinding your teeth like some beast you should try to apologize, to both of us! Or is the king too proud to do so?" Orihime was still spitting fire, each of her words as powerful as the flames of Hell.

Ichigo had enough, however. He had lost, and he accepted defeat.

He lowered himself on his knees and bowed to show his sincere apology.

"I'm sorry" He said clearly. "I'm sorry for being so cold towards Ulquiorra even after everything he's done" He started. "I'm also... Sorry for not trying to understand your feelings earlier and... Now I'm sorry, for not supporting you with your love life in the same way you've done with mine. I was being an egoist prick, and I'm glad that you showed me that"

Orihime's defiant expression swifted into a calmer one, though she was not back in her usual cheerful self.

"What do you think, Ulquiorra?" She asked the Espada.

"I'm not sure I should be saying this... But I've never seen her like this so... I... I forgive you Ichigo-sa-"

"No. Just Ichigo. From now on, you two must treat each other equally" Orihime said with a smile, although it was clearly an order.

"Whatever... It is what I tried from the start actually, but he didn't listen" Ichigo pouted like a brat from the floor.

"Well then..." Orihime sighed.

The Arrancar king was standing up when the human girl decided to stop him right on his tracks.

"I didn't say anything, Kurosaki-kun" She called him in a cute way once again.

"Eh... So, will you forgive me?" He couldn't believe how fearsome that Orihime was. Looking back, he had never EVER seen her angry before, and now that he finally did, he wanted to change that as quick as possible.

"If you fulfill my request"

"Huh? Sure, what is it?"

Everything went mute as he saw Orihime's lips move, not able to hear anything due to the shock those words produced in his mind.

"What was it? I couldn't quite catch it..." Ichigo asked again.

Orihime repeated the request, her lips pronouncing the words clearly and slowly:

"Make me an Arrancar"

~~~~X~~~~

**Woohoo, and so we're back! This Chapter turned out to be a lot longer than I thought at first. I hope you guys enjoy it!**

**It was so fun writing about Orihime's rage as well, and I think it's also a nice way to introduce the more dark atmosphere this story is meant to have.**

**To conclude, I want to thank you all as we hit the first milestone of 100 follows! (as well as 69 favorites ; )**

**In case you wanna (and can) support me, I created a by the name of Evhron. Don't feel forced in any way to do it, I appreciate you following my work just fine! Money always helps though, but I am an artist over anything else, mark my words.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Wicked awesome chapter! I enjoyed this! It truly was an incredible chapter! I look forward to more. Seems Ashido knows the truth now. Every little thing he once knew about Hollows and Arrancar was false! For the most part at least. He just didn't know the full history. I hope Rukia and the Tres Bestias can help him once they've found him._**

**_And really? You've already made plans for what's in store for UlquiHime? Why am I not surprised? Lol. See ya next update!_**

**Reply: I mean, not everything is false. Menos are mindless creatures that devour everything in their path, but the Hollows as a race are not evil, that's the paradigm he had to break.**

**Now, regarding the other topic... I guess you can see where UlquiHime is heading to.**

**Thanks a lot and see you all next Chapter! Evhron out.**

**Glossary:**

**_Cuernavaca: _While in literal terms it is a city in mexico, I thought it was a cooler name considering his cow-skull, so it would be translated as Horncow (NOT HORNYCOW lol). Cuernavaca itself means "near the woods" so funny enough, it does have a connection with Ashido.**

**_Chupacabras: _Just like the mythical creature. In this case, it is a Hollowfied version of his previous _Kyuushuu_, though it has a couple adjustments.While he can absorb Reishi just by touching the other being, this sn a slow and non-harmful process. The true _Chupacabras _is meant to work by stabbing the enemy with the Reishi sucking horns.**


	25. Scar Queen

"Inoue... Are you being serious?" Ichigo couldn't believe it.

"Totally. You and Nel became Wholes, which is the highest aspiration a Hollow can have according to you so... I want to give Ulqui-kun that joy as well, but I know that such thing won't happen for as long as I am a Human..."

"But, Inoue, have you thought on the impact this would have on your life?" Ulquiorra didn't want her to make such an important decision in a rash manner. "There are things, people... A whole life you'd have to leave behind if you become a Hollow"

"So _now_ you think about those things, huh?" Ichigo thought pissed as he remembered how he didn't take his own feelings into consideration before.

"I know what it means, but I don't have anything to worry about. I have no direct family left, no great future in the Human World... And most of my closest friends are all able to come to visit us! There's no problem!" She happily concluded, just worried about Tatsuki, though she knew she'd find a way to keep seeing her.

"I have to admit she's right about that" Ichigo thought. "Then... Inoue, are you 100% sure that this is what you want? Cause, I won't say there's no turning back as Urahara always has an ace up his sleeve, but it is not something sure either..." Ichigo replied.

"Ichigo. I love Ulquiorra. I'm sure that you perfectly understand what it means to truly love someone now, so... I believe you get it"

"Yeah... By the way, I'm not sure I can turn you into an Arrancar with just the Heart of Tsukoyomi"

"I heard you were able to do so as Ashido was under the proces of Hollowfication" Orihime recalled, as she had asked Rukia.

"Yes. So... I'll see what I can do" He wore off the black chain necklace to point the tesseract at her, transmitting his will to turn her into an Arrancar.

The artifact shined in the same way as it had done before, but nothing seemed to change in Orihime.

"How do you feel?"

"The same. It seems that you cannot turn a Human into an Arrancar directly. I must be a Hollow previously..." She muttered, a bit disappointed.

"I thought so. I'm sorry, Inoue" He legitimately wanted to fulfill her wish now that he understood how she felt, so he was displeased with the result as well. "I swear that I wanted to help you"

"Don't worry... I can see in your eyes that you're not lying. I appreciate that you tried, Ichigo" She replied, not hiding the sadness in her voice.

But that made him remember something.

_"The true power of Las Noches, is not an enormous force of destruction, but the ability to transform all incomplete beings into Hollows(...)" _The words of Mugetsu resonated in his head.

"Maybe it's not impossible after all... But I gotta learn to control that power before saying anything to Orihime, as well as making sure that I can do such thing" He thought, concluding that there was something he could try.

"Inoue... It's okay. You don't have to be an Arrancar for me to love you" Ulquiorra stood up and embraced her. "I fell in love with that heart of yours before anything else. That is something that won't change, no matter what"

"Thank you... Ulquiorra" She held him tightly as she let out her frustration in the form of tears in his chest.

Ichigo walked out of the room slowly, not looking back.

"Take care of her, Ulquiorra" He concluded, finally accepting that the Espada had been trying to protect the same things as he.

~~~~X~~~~

After their nap, Ichigo had asked Nel to check on Nageki's progress, so she had gone by herself to the immortal's lab.

"Nageki!" She called his name.

"Nelliel, what a surprise! Is King Ichigo in there as well?" He asked from upstairs.

"No. He's busy with Ulquiorra. How are you going with that thing you were working on? The one that protects us from any Kimon opening?"

"Ah, it's almost done. In half an hour it should be ready" He carelessly replied, as he adjusted a strange device.

"Good, I'll tell Ichigo..." She replied in an unconclusive way, leaving clear that there was more she wanted to talk about. "But, there's also something else" She decided to say what was bothering her.

"Ah, what else do you need, then?" Nageki paid attention, noticing the tone in her voice.

"You see, I just wanted to make sure... That you're not gonna tell him or anyone else about my past"

Nageki grinned as he came down.

"I mean... I covered for you earlier, didn't I? Fufufu" He laughed.

"Yeah, I remember you did. Look... Don't get me wrong. I really... Like, REALLY, love Ichigo. To become a Whole with him and all... Is the best thing that could happen in my life. But even so... There are things about my past I just, don't feel comfortable sharing. As a matter of fact, I'd like to forget such things myself"

"I thought as much, and I don't judge you, Nelliel. I know that you're a very different Hollow now. Talking about that past self right now must be pretty... Disgusting" Nageki's choice of words was strong, but spot on.

"Exactly..." She bitterly agreed. "So please... Try not to say anything. While I may not be completely honest with him, believe me when I say that I am doing everything I can to make him happy, not only to make up for those lies... But because I _want_ to see him happy"

"*sigh* How complicated indeed. Wholes are supposed to have no secrets, but then again, I only knew other two of them. Believe it or not, even after everything Mugetsu did, it's not easy to find a partner and building a relationship, and then finally deciding to become a Whole"

"I can imagine that was the case"

"Now that I think about it, getting to _Segunda Etapa_ is not easy either. But it seems, that you and your inner beast are not so distant as it appears. After all, you had betrayed Ichigo from the start"

Nel raised her Zanpakutou at him as she frowned.

"Don't you ever say I'm in any way close to that bitch again..." She threatened him with the most menacing tone she had.

"Woah, easy there. Did you forget that it was I who fixed the monster you were?"

"Tch..." She put the blade back in the green sheath. "No. I haven't forgotten, and you don't know how much I appreciate that"

"Good. I know the kind of person you are now, and I couldn't be happier to see that change. However, you cannot pretend you can hide something so crucial eternally"

"What do you mean? The only ones who know are you and me. I haven't told anyone, not even Pesche and Dondochakka. It's more than sealed"

"Oh, really? I wouldn't be so sure... After all this time, I can tell with almost complete certainty, that the Demons have been watching us for a lot longer than we think. If by any chance, Yama knows of your past... Who knows what he could possibly do?"

"So you are saying... That I should tell him as soon as possible" She stared at the floor with an uncomfortable feeling.

"You could take your time... But eventually, yes" He replied affirmatively. "In fact, I don't think Ichigo would have much trouble with it, as long as you're completely honest for the first time. On the other hand, the one who is more breakable right now, is you"

"What, you think he'll be able to manipulate me at this point?" Nel mocked in disbelief.

"Yama can be very convincing. He has worked on his manipulative abilities for longer than any of us have been alive (which given _my_ case is saying A LOT), so I wouldn't be so careless"

"*sigh* I'll see what I can do... But, are you sure that Ichigo won't hate me?"

"Well, I am not him to say for sure! But, something tells me that no. Despite everything, you _are_ his other half. He might just be a little disappointed that you lied to him at the beginning. That was a pretty stupid thing to do if you ask me"

"Hrngh... It's frightening to hear you say that as if you had seen my confession with your own eyes" She groaned.

"It's simple because I know you, Nelliel, and you're very predictable as well. You hate your past-self more than anything else in this world. In your head, admitting you were once like that, is the same as saying that such being is still alive somewhere inside you..." Nageki could read her like a book, although he had just seen her again after such a long time. "Though personally, I don't believe that is the case, but fearing such possibility can make it more real than you imagine"

"Never again! I won't be like that... I'd rather die!" She declared. "Gamuza wishes I went back to my dark roots... But I refuse to even get close to that. Now that my heart is filled with love, there's no room for that bloody harlot" She could see a clear image inside her mind. A beautiful Vasto Lorde bathed in the blood of a group of Adjuchas with a sadistic grin on her face.

"What did you tell him exactly?" Nageki inquired.

"That I just... Scavenged the bodies of Hollows that showed animosity towards me..."

"Damn... Sweet lies, right? But I hit right on spot. I _did_ say that I found you as an Adjuchas... And while that is no lie, I only truly reformed you after you became a Vasto Lorde. I would never forget _that_ betrayal..." Nageki seemed more serious as he remembered that. "It's even ironic. Different from your current self, the old Nelliel was totally unpredictable. If it wasn't for the fact that I sensed Yukari's Reiatsu in you, I would've had no remorse ending your life back then..."

"Enough. You know how much I hate this topic so can you call it off? All I'm asking is that you don't say anything to Ichigo. I'll... See when it's best" She said the last part in a pretty unconvincing way, but only time wouod tell how she would act.

"Okay, okay..." He chuckled. "But I can't help but wonder... How would that Nelliel look as one of Aizen's Espada? Or even better... What would she had done if she'd come across Ichi-"

He stopped as soon as her sword was in his throat, leaving a tiny drop of blood running through his neck.

"I. Said. Enough..." She almost whispered, her skull covering her hazel eyes in the shadows.

"Sorry. I went over the line" He admitted, as his body trembled a bit.

Due to her speed, she could've killed him before he could alter his body. Sure, she wasn't _that_ Hollow anymore. She couldn't possibly do that to him now. But she wanted him to remember what she was capable of and leave clear that the current her, despite being on a completely different level of power, was a just warrior who tried her best not to stain her soul with any death, if possible.

"Okay..." She sighed, once again putring back her Zanpakutou. "I'm heading back now. Keep doing your best for Ichigo and Las Noches..." She started walking towards the exit of the red tower when she stopped for a moment. "Hey, Nageki..."

"What is it?" He noticed her voice had become a lot softer.

"Back then... Were we really friends? Or was that a mere device to make me change?" She really needed to know that.

"Nelliel..." He sighed bitterly. "I've always had trouble to establish social relationships myself. While I considered Mugetsu my friend, I'm not sure that I ever connected with his feelings, you know? It was just... A feeling of safety and commitment. Because of that, I don't think..."

"I understand. You just decieved me into thinking that..." She concluded.

"No, I wouldn't say that either. Look, I tried really hard to open my heart to you, Nelliel, cause I wanted you to see that there was so much more than just killing and surviving. Those values I taught you, are something you treasure even today, and that is proof of my great efforts to connect with you. But you have to understand that even if I try... My heart is empty. I am a sociopath"

"What is that?" She asked confused.

"It means that I lack empathy. I cannot feel what you feel, only my own thoughts and feelings have value" He explained. "You may think that is common in Hollows but, the truth is that most just never get in touch with said feelings because of the environment they grow, like you at first, only knowing violence and bloodlust. Of course, I learned how to work with that and how to understand others' feelings from a rational point of view, but it would be unfair of me to say we were friends when I never really felt you, Nelliel" He looked at the floor in shame.

"Oh... I see" She started feeling sorry for him. Regardless of his actions, she had to take into account that he_ did_ change her, and she couldn't be more graceful thanks to that change. "In that case... It's left for me to decide"

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah. Since you are not qualified to make that choice, I will have to do it" Nel walked to him.

"Wh-What...?" He couldn't get what she was doing.

"What I'm trying to say, Nageki, is that you will always be my friend" She smiled at him. "Thanks to you, I am who I am today. Thanks to you, I can kiss Ichigo every morning and feel truly alive without harming anybody. Thanks to you... I can finally say I'm happy. That is something so special that I can't help but leave a space in my heart for you, my first friend"

"Nelliel...!" He looked at her with a mixed expression of confusion and hope. "You... You really mean it? Even if I... Can never..."

"Yes, and I'm sure Mugetsu and all the others back then must've thought the same. Ichigo is naturally sociable so it wouldn't be rare that he considers you a friend as well"

"Heh..." He smiled in a way she had never seen before. It wasn't his typical empty smile. This one reflected true emotion. "It seems I made a monster... But a lovely one at that, haha!"

"You're not alone, Nageki. If you still want to die... That's up to you. But you can always count on the fact that we will be here for you" Nel hugged him strongly. "You helped me before... So I'm gonna do my best to help you now"

"So... This is how it feels" Nageki's fuchsia eyes shined with hope. "This is what it means... To have a friend..."

"I think it's even hilarious how you taught me the value of something you couldn't even see yourself" She let him go of the embrace. "But yeah, this is what it means to have friends. They are the reason I don't want to go back... I want to be someone they can rely on... Despite my deepest secret..."

"I see... Well, guess for the first time I'm gonna try working for something greater than myself" He replied motivated as he went back to work. "I'll be thinking of you all as I continue to struggle in order to protect your future"

"Thank you, for making the effort. I can't imagine how it must be for you... But I'll be supporting you, and so will everyone else!" She waved her hand in sign of goodbye. "You can count on it. See ya!"

"Bye. And thank you... Even if I don't understand you in my heart, I know that you are making a tremendous effort. That is something I really appreciate, Nelliel" He thought, seeing her silhouette disappear in the horizon. "Maybe, you are my first friend as well"

~~~~X~~~~

After a couple hours, Ichigo was sitting on the Espadas' table along with Nel, Renji, Ulquiorra and Orihime, while the rest had just arrived. Pesche and Dondochakka stood by as well.

"Welcome back everyone!" Orihime cheerfully greeted them.

"Hi! It wasn't easy, but we brought him back!" Rukia proudly said.

"I can see by Ashido's expression that he's a lot better, am I wrong?" Ichigo said.

"I'm sorry for making everyone worry... But yes, I think I finally started enjoying this new chance you gave me. Thanks, Ichigo" He bowed.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting you to be _that_ happy about it. I was really worried that you would hate me for choosing that fate for you... But I'm glad that it was not a mistake in the end"

"And even if it was... It would be the best mistake ever..." Sung-Sun muttered blushing as she looked at Ashido.

"I can't say anything against that" Apacci agreed.

"Actually... Ashido found something really interesting on his walk" Rukia said.

"Really, what would that be?" Renji asked surprised.

"Oi, come here! No need to be shy" Mila Rose called her.

Lilynette shyly entered the Throne Room, taking a look at her new acquaintances.

"Who is that...?" Nel was curious.

"Hello... For those of you who don't know me, my name is Lilynette Gingerbuck. I used to be the Fracción of Coyote Starrk, but he was defeated and killed in the battle of Karakura" She explained with a hint of sadness. "I lost my memory after he saved me, so I missed a lot of things. I've been told that there is a new king, for the record"

"Ho? This is an interesting finding..." Ulquiorra commented. "Why isn't she the brat I remember though?" He thought to himself.

"Welcome, Lilynette. I am Kurosaki Ichigo, new king of Hueco Mundo. I don't know if you've heard of me"

"Well, I remember you were the one who came here to rescue _that_ girl" She pointed at Orihime. "I must say I was astonished to hear that not only did you become an Arrancar, but the king as well!" Lilynette replied.

"Yeah, it _is_ crazy..." Ichigo agreed. "But, I assure you, I'm gonna try my best to make Hueco Mundo grow and become a more suitable place to live in. I understand that the very essence of Hollows is something that cannot easily change, but I want to ensure peace at least among Arrancar, who have evolved enough to gain intelligence and have no need to feed upon other pairs"

"I think it is a wonderful idea, and I'd be really happy to help you out! Could I become an Espada?"

"Damn, that's straightforward if I've seen it" Pesche commented, while Dondochakka nodded with his head.

"Hahahaha" Ichigo laughed at her surprising motivation. "Of course... If you're up to the task, I don't see why not. However, we are still under the process of searching possible candidates to fill all 10 ranks"

"Also, Ichigo" Ashido thought it was worth mentioning. "I released my Hollow Zanpakutou for the first time. And I... Have an aspect of death"

"What? Ashido, you didn't tell us!!!" The Tres Bestias snapped.

"Sorry, I had forgotten with all that had happened. My aspect of death is... Guilt" He revealed.

"I see... Then I imagine you are a suitable candidate as well. Once we gather the missing links, we can test your powers and define you rank" Ichigo replied, amazed at how smoothly everything was going.

"With Lilynette and Ashido, only three more Arrancar are needed" Nel pointed out. "Pesche, Dondochakka"

"Yes, Nel-sama?" The two asked.

"You two are able to do _Resurrección_, right?"

"Yes, indeed. However, I don't have an aspect of death, so I don't think I'm fit for this. What about you, Dondochakka?" Pesche replied.

"Same here. I'm afraid we were just not made to become Espadas, Nel-sama... But, we will always be more than happy of being your Fracción!" Dondochakka said.

"Really? As long as you're happy with that, it's okay. But I can't help but wonder, should it really be a requirement to have an aspect of death anymore?" Nel asked.

"I wouldn't say it's strictly necessary, but it definitely is a key factor in their power's development" Ulquiorra explained. "That's the reason Espadas have only been Arrancar with an aspect of death so far"

"I see... Then we have no choice but to start the search formally... Which reminds me, what did Nageki say, Nel?"

"That it was almost ready. Actually, it should be operating now..." She remembered that he was supposed to finish it in half an hour since she was there, so they were long past the timer.

"Is that so? Then there should be no problem with us heading out" Ichigo concluded. "Nel will come with me. We're going south"

"I wonder what we'll find..." She muttered, uptight. "Is there a special reason you want to head there?"

"I wouldn't say it is a 'reason', it's more like a hunch" He replied, a bit embarrassed that he didn't have something better.

"Oh, I see" She faked a smile. That direction was the last she wanted to go now, especially _that_ day.

"I'll leave Harribel and Grimmjow in charge while I'm out, so if you guys could put them up to date with everything it would be great" He told his Shinigami and human friends. "Also, Ulquiorra"

"Yes?"

"I need you to check the surroundings of Las Noches while I'm out. I'm asking you cause your wings should make it easier and, if anything were to happen, I believe you are strong enough to handle it" Ichigo was putting his trust in his Primera Espada, despite their previous differences.

"Absolutely, Ichigo-s... Ichigo" Orihime had given him a 'different' look, which was replaced by a smile as soon as he called the Arrancar king by his name. "You can count on me"

"Very well then. Shall we go, Nel?" He asked his lover.

Nel was really distracted with other thoughts at the moment.

"Would that be a good moment to tell him? After all, we'd be alone... But, what if he despises me? No, I doubt that would happen... But, it will be a distraction Ichigo doesn't need right now. He has more than enough with all this King business. I can't be so selfish as to worry him with such a trivial matter when there's no proof that there's anyone out there who can take advantage of my past... It's pointless" She concluded, heavily thinking of the topic she had discussed with Nageki earlier.

"Nel?" Ichigo clearly saw that she was on the moon.

"Ah! sorry, Ichi. I was just lost in thought" She giggled nervously.

"You looked worried, is something bothering you?" He inquired, as her expression had been one of uneasyness.

"No, nothing important. I'm just a bit worried about you leaving everyone with all the Oni and stuff, but thinking it again, they should be just fine" She lied.

"Oh, so that's what it was. Yeah, worrying too much won't take us anywhere. I trust in their ability enough to take care of this matter myself. We shouldn't take too long, amyway"

"That's what I thought in the end, so let's go" She replied, feeling relieved that her poor excuse worked.

"Do your best!" Rukia told the two.

"Yeah. We'll make sure everything's in order" Renji added.

"Make sure to come back safely" Orihime said with a maternal tone.

"We'll supervise the Arrancar in the palace, Nel-sama! So you can rest assured" Pesche adopted a soldier's posture, and Dondochakka sloppily copied him.

"See you soon, guys. If anyone asks about the king, just say the truth and let Harribel or Grimmjow take care of the matter" Ichigo finished the meeting, standing up and heading out of the palace, with Nel following him.

"We'll try to be as quick as possible. See you!" Nel bid them farewell in a friendly way.

~~~~X~~~~

Nel galloped with Ichigo on her back, heading south as he had told her.

Despite having him ride her, which was one of the things she loved most in this world, she was unable to get her head out of her thoughts.

Two days had passed since they had started their journey, and Nel's mood only seemed to darken.

After all, they would most likely pass through a place she only wished to forget, the one the landscape in which Gamuza lived inside her mind was based in.

"Hey, Nel. Are you sure you're alright? We can stop for a bit if you're not feeling well" Ichigo proposed her after a while.

"No, I'm fine. What makes you think that?" She asked back, even though she knew what the problem was.

"I noticed that you're not as talkative or playful as you use to be, and also... My heart feels heavy, but I have no reason to feel that way. Is something else troubling you? You can talk to me about it, Nel. I am always here for you"

"Fuck... His words only make me feel worse for trying to hide this from him, which is practically impossible since our hearts are connected" She thought. "But, there's no way I can tell him! Not yet... I don't... I'm not ready for that. Maybe... I could be a bit honest though"

Ichigo kissed her cheek and caressed her animal half tenderly.

"If you don't wanna tell me... It's okay. Just... Know that you can trust me. All I want is for you to be happy"

"Ichigo..." She said as she stopped galloping for a moment. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you or anything, but you see... We are getting closer"

"Closer? To what?"

"To the place I came from. The woods where I spent my years as Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde" She pointed ahead, where the image of a large forest was distinguishable in the distance.

"Oh... Is that too bad?" He wanted to know more, in order to understand her attitude.

"It's a place that holds memories I don't like looking back into" She vaguely explained.

"I see. I imagine you don't wanna talk about it"

"Not really. But, it's okay. Once we find a candidate we don't have to come back" She replied, letting him understand that said memories were not something she was planning to overcome, and clearly was unable to forget.

"You really mean it? Well, if you ever feel like discussing it... I'm all ears"

"Thank you, Ichi. I'm glad you understand"

"Of course I do. I love you" He gave her a long kiss to complement his words.

Nel was crying when the kiss ended, her feeling of love clashing strongly against her guilt.

"I love you too, Ichigo... Trust me that I... I know I can trust you, but... There are a couple things... I cannot let out so easily, you know?" She sobbed.

"Shh..." He hugged her, making sure his heat reached her. "If you're not ready, then don't say anything. Even if you don't ever want to tell me, it's okay. I won't stop loving you because of that, Nel, but I don't want you to suffer all by yourself. Let me share your pain"

"Ichi..." Was all she could say as she kissed him, trying to swallow the pain of her self-proclaimed treason.

After the last tears crashed around them, they cobtinued their journey, helplessly entering the place Nel had mentioned earlier.

It was a forest of white trees with red leaves. It surprised Ichigo that there was something growing in Hueco Mundo.

Ichigo got off her back, amd she returned to her base form.

"Nel, what's with this place? I haven't seen plants like, ever since I came here!" He said in awe. "Is there water in this place?"

"No" Nel coldly replied.

"Then how...?" Ichigo was asking, until he noticed that the ground had a strange red colour, not reminiscent of any type of dirt or stone he knew. "Don't tell me this is..."

"Yes..." Nel painfully admitted. "This place is known as... The Blood Forest"

"Are you telling me that..."

"This forest is born of the blood of Hollows. Adjuchas and Vasto Lordes tend to form groups, and then they annihilate each other. This is a place of endless war, where the trees feed of the blood and bones of those who perish in battle. While it does not look as scary as Blackwater Park, this is probably the most dangerous place in Hueco Mundo. Those who want to become stronger by feeding upon the corpses of others come here at their own risk. Even if you're at the top of the chain today, there is no guarantee that you won't get killed tomorrow... I'd dare say, this is Hueco Mundo in its most brutal expression"

"Damn..." Ichigo muttered, starting to get an idea of Nel's suffering...

Or so he thought.

"Well, regardless of danger, this is a place where we are most likely to find at least one potential Espada" Nel concluded.

"After all you told me, I can see the why... But that also means the Arrancar we find will most likely be a savage, at least to our standards"

"Yes, that is probably the case"

"Well, the only thing we can do is see for ourselves. In the worst of cases... I can use my _Resurrección_ to force it into submission, but I'd rather not do so" Ichigo remembered the fear he produced in the inhabitants of Las Noches with his special ability.

Almost an hour had passed since they entered the Forest, and by now they could easily tell that they were not alome anymore.

There was something following them, observing their every move.

"Ichigo, should we force it to come out?" Nel whispered to him.

"Not yet... And it's not alone. I want to give them the illusion of having the upper hand, so that when they attack, they will reveal their entire force"

She nodded understandingly in reply.

They continued advancing, until they reached an interesting spot without any trees.

"Wait! I think... I think I know this place..." Nel said as she looked at the surrounding area more carefully.

Her memories flashed back, showing her a great mountain of Hollow skulls and shards of scorched flesh all around it.

"Why...? Why did we have to come here...?!" She murmured with great disdain.

"Nel, what...?" Ichigo was about to ask her what was going on, but was interrupted by a sound of whiplashes that came from behind.

When he looked back, he noticed how hordes of Adjuchas and a handful of Vasto Lordes were surrounding them, not leaving a single way of escape.

He also realized that on the two opposite sides, there was a single Arrancar commanding them, each dressed in the fur and skulls of other Hollows, reminding him a bit of Ashido.

The man of the whip had a savage look. He looked middle-aged, had tanned skin, was tall and muscular, while not abhorrent in that. He had a mane of light-brown hair and brownish green eyes. Ichigo noticed that the whip he was carrying had multiple tips, looking like tentacles. He had a big scar across his left eye, which was clearly blind. His Hollow Hole was on his stomach and there was piece of Hollow mask covering his neck.

On the other end, the other Arrancar looked young and was wearing a hood, making its identity a mystery, although long lilac hair fell out of it. His Hollow Hole was on his upper chest, just like Ichigo's and Ulquiorra's. His weapon seemed to be a claymore that looked too big for him, but he carried it with a single hand and apparently, easily.

"Satya, stand by. I think we hit the jackpot" The adult man said to the youngling.

"Aum" The other one simply replied, and accepted the order. It was the voice of a teenager.

Nel looked panicked as she saw the faces of the Hollows surrounding them, many of them having scars either on their faces or their bodies.

"Kghuhuhuhu... Hahahahahahaha!" The man laughed. "I can't believe it. My eyes must be deceiving me!" He said as he approached Ichigo and Nel.

"No... This can't be happening!" Nel thought, not able to stand her terrible luck.

"Never in my entire life... Not once! Did I expect to find you again... Nelliel" The man said.

"What?!" Ichigo was shocked. He already knew where she came from, but was there an Arrancar who knew her in this day and age?

Nel was mute, holding her Zanpakutou tighter than ever before.

"Heh, did you think I wouldn't recognize you? I must say, you look different in that biped form, but that turquoise hair is most likely one of a kind... No need to mention that Reiatsu. We all know it very well" The man continued. "Except for Satya, of course. He's new in the pack, but he's an even greater monster than I am, hahaha... Though I wonder... If he's even comparable to you!"

"Shut up, Bryssling!" Nel shouted back.

"Hey, wait a minute" Ichigo spoke. "You guys know Nel?"

"Know her? Most certainly. How would we ever forget our beloved leader?" Bryssling licked his fingers and passed them through the scar on his face. "That scar looks good on you..."

Nel grinded her sharp teeth in anger.

"Leader...?" Ichigo repeated, trying to understand what was going on.

"Enough. I imagine you wish to fight. Very well, I'll give you a fight...!" Nel replied in a rash way that was not usual in her.

"Hahahahaha... That's more like it. But, it's been so long to just let it all go in one lash" Bryssling replied, continuing the conversation. "C'mon, tell me more about you. What did you do after you betrayed us, huh?"

"Stop there Bryssling, unless you want to become part of the Forest!" Nel threatened him, her anxiety growing with every word Bryssling said.

"N-Nel...?" Ichigo had never seen her behave like that. Hell, what was with women these last couple days?

"Oh, I am already part of it. Always have been. Just like you, in fact. The difference is you tried to escape, but eventually, we all go back to our roots, don't we?" Bryssling provoked her more, his grin growing even more.

"Last chance to reason" Nel gave him the final warning.

"Welcome back, Scar Queen" Bryssling knew what saying that would earn him.

A second later, Nel had leaped through the space between them and had attempted to kill him with her Zanpakutou. Her intent was foiled by Satya, however, who blocked the impact.

"Aum... This woman is really strong" The Arrancar said, as his hoodie was cut only by the slashing impact, revealing his young male face and golden eyes.

"As I told you, Satya is a monster" Bryssling chuckled. "However, he doesn't have nearly half of your experience, so in a real battle, it's easy to tell who the winner would be"

"Aum. She's no joke, Bryssling" Satya commented. "I saw her back, she's Tercera Espada"

"No way... So you became an Espada! Hell, I can't even start to imagine the power of the ones ranked further"

"What do you want, Bryssling?!" Nel asked with pure animosity.

"Heheh... That's simple. I can see by the look of that Arrancar that he has no idea of what's going on here. How long have you known him? Were you planning to betray him and eat his corpse?"

"I won't allow you to continue humiliating me" Nel declared. "Declare, _Gam__-"_

"Nel, stop!" Ichigo shouted at her.

She looked back, realizing that Ichigo was serious.

"Ichi..."

"Come back here" He ordered her.

She didn't defy the order and went back to her loved one's side in a flash.

"Ho? Have you been domesticated? How amusing. Who is this man who's powerful enough to easily order the Queen around?" Bryssling asked.

"That would be..." Ichigo made sure his answer was heard by them all. "...The King of Hueco Mundo"

A sudden silence consumed the place. No one dared to say anything after hearing that.

A couple seconds later, the underlings could be heard saying stuff like "He can't be serious", "Hey, it's not funny", "Is he for real?", and a series of phrases of both belief and disbelief.

"Silence!" Bryssling shouted. "Look, pal. I don't care if you rule over Las Noches or something of sorts, but this forest belongs to the Legion of the Serpent!"

"Legion of the Serpent?" Nel repeated, doubtful.

"That's the name our new leader gave us" Bryssling explained. "Now he... He is a real legend. He came here about a month ago. Not only did he bring Satya, but he subjugated us all by himself"

"Aum, he is the real deal" Satya agreed. "I had never seen an Arrancar that was stronger than me, but there he is"

"We've been lost for years... After our Queen betrayed us, I served as leader but... It wasn't the same. We weren't nearly as strong without her, so many even sacrificed themselves to feed me, so that I would be able to evolve and protect the pack" Bryssling explained.

"So let me get this straight" Ichigo interrupted. "Nel used to be your leader back when she was an... Adjuchas?"

"And after she became a Vasto Lorde as well... She had evolved after pretending to be friends with a weird Arrancar who seemed lost in this forest. He turned out to be a lot stronger than we imagined, though" Bryssling remembered.

"Nel... Was that..." Ichigo deduced it. "...Nageki?"

Nelliel clenched her fist as she realized that the lying game was over. Ichigo would know one way or another. She had failed to protect her secret and, in the process, deceived Ichigo by distorting reality.

"It's... Y... Yes..." Nel finally admitted. "Nageki met me when I was an Adjuchas. He tried to change me back then, but I wasn't even slightly interested in listening. I stabbed him in the back when I had the chance and disappeared, only to come back to the Forest... Because I... I used to rule this place"

Ichigo looked at her with a mixture of pity and anger. He had been fooled all along. Sure, it wasn't something really important in their present life, but it was the meaning behind it what shocked him the most. She had never trusted entirely in him, and that was something that hurt him deeply.

"There it is... The look of disappointment in your friend's eyes... Or... Is he something more than a friend?" Bryssling laughed.

Ichigo had had enough. Of everything. He would not take any more bullshit, from anyone.

"Void... **_Las Noches_**"

"Ichigo!" Nel yelled, feeling how unstable his heart was when he decided to do that.

The black aura dressed Ichigo once more, absorbing the Reishi of all the present Hollows, with the exception of Nel.

This time however, Ichigo had no mercy. He wouldn't stop until all those beasts were at least unconscious.

"What the...?!" Bryssling could feel how his energy was being severely drained.

"Aum... He is dangerous..." Satya said with difficulty, starting to feel weak as well.

"Ichigo, stop! You're gonna kill them all!" Nel screamed in tears. "I don't care about them... But I don't want _you_ to stain your hands with blood!"

As soon as Ichigo understood that Nel's words were true, he decided to stop.

All the Adjuchas and Vasto Lordes were unconscious on the floor.

Bryssling was on his knees, hardly remaining conscious, while Satya was breathing heavily and sweating bullets.

Ichigo went back to his base form, not looking at anywhere but the dead ground.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo..." Nel cried, knowing she had failed him.

The heavy atmosphere was broken by the arrival of the last Arrancar that would join them that night.

"My, my... Who is this ridiculously overpowered Arrancar?" A man asked rhetorically.

Ichigo instantly recognized the voice of said man, changing his current dark mood into the greatest astonishment he had felt ever since he had become an Arrancar.

"You're joking..." He said to himself as he turned around to see the face of a ghost.

~~~~X~~~~

**Trying to update as soon as possible to now focus in my finals, as I already fucked one up (though I got a chance to redo it) and I don't want that to happen again, so here you go!**

**Well, if you were wondering what's dark, well... This is. Up to this point, everything had been going pretty nice and easy with Ichigo and Nel's relationship, right? But no. Nothing is so simple in this world, so this is where everything falls apart. I'm sorry.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _EEEEEEE! Loved this! Great work! I had NO idea that while Ashido went for his walk to clear his mind, he'd actually find a fully revived, grown, AND more powerful Lilynette! AMAZING! I look forward to seeing what she can do later on! I'm also very pleased Ashido is feeling a LOT better. That's good to see._**

**_In any case, wow! Orihime just did a total 180 from her usual self to becoming a righteous female of fury, and finally giving that sweet "Unohana Smile"! *shudder*. It's true what they say. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned eh?_**

**_And I knew it. I TOTALLY CALLED IT! I had a feeling Orihime would request to become an Arrancar so she may be with Ulquiorra! Awesome! Although I wonder how it'll affect her power to "reject" things? Guess I'll see soon enough._**

**_See ya next update_**

**Reply: Good! I managed to surprise you! Lilynette is joining the new Espada.**

**Writing Orihime's part was a blast as well, I love imagining that kind of character development. I hope I made it work.**

**And yeah, you predicted her becoming an Arrancar, but I think it was pretty easy to deduce though. Congrats, anyways!**

**Le-Maru: _Great chapter!_****_Orihime as an Arrancar would be interesting. How would that change her fairies though? Would they "Die" like Ashido's sword spirit or would their being part of the godly "Rejection" power keep them safe but just change them a little? If Orihime was an aspect of Death, what would it even be? Huh. Looking forward to seeing where you go with that. I imagine her becoming an Arrancar would let her and Ulquiorra become Wholes, so that would be sweet. Also solves the whole human aging thing - he would have to watch her slowly age to death otherwise and that would be sad as f*ck._****_Her being assertive was nice to see as well. And I'm glad Ichigo got his head out of his ass._**

**Reply: I'll be honest. I still have to investigate a bit about their fairies to be able to describe that process. I will explain how that works when the time comes, anyway. At least in this fic, only Espadas have aspects of death, so she doesn't necessarily need one. Will she be an Espada? Who knows? (Well, I do xD). I agree that reading about Ulquiorra seeing how Orihime ages and dies would be really sad, but don't worry, that's not happening****.**

**thereceiv3r:_ Despite how you said you wanted to introduce a darker atmosphere into the story, I laughed quite a few times in here. Even the end scene. Well that was more because of surprise. So now Ulquiorra and Orihime can be together as Wholes! Also, nice come back for Lilynette. A bit sad that Stark sacrificed his power for her, but now she can join in the new kingdom._**

**Reply: Yeah, I laughed a lot as well while imagining that scene, but the point is, Orihime is showing a negative emotion that's practically non-existent in her character before. By now, it should be clear that things are getting darker though. Yep, kudos for Lilynette!**

**See you all as soon as I get out of these fucking exams AARRGGHH!**

**Evhron out.**


	26. Hansha

"Isn't that...?!" Nel recognized him as well, though she almost never interacted with him back when she was under Aizen's command.

"Now _this _is a surprise! And what's more... It seems that we're on the same page" The silver haired man said with his characteristic grin.

He looked almost the same as before, the only difference (aside from his primal clothing) being the void in the center of his chest, exactly where his heart would be.

"But you... I saw you... Dying!" Ichigo muttered in disbelief. "How is it possible that...?"

"I have no idea" The ex-Captain raised his hands in sign of ignorance. "All I know is that I am alive"

Satya's eyes seemed brighter as his master arrived on the field.

"Ichimaru... Dono..." His expression was emotionless, like always, but they could all tell how much that gesture meant.

"Oh, did my new friends give you trouble? Sorry about that. I've tried to teach them to be more friendly, but their wild side takes over whenever they see someone strong" Gin apologized, but his usual ironic tone made it difficult to tell if he was even half-serious while at it.

"So you are... The leader of these Hollows. The Legion of the Serpent, huh?" Ichigo inquired.

"I could ask you the same... King" Gin had heard it. "And about that cool name... I never asked them to do such thing, but they seem to really look up to me for some reason. It's nothing, really" He dismissed it as something unimportant.

"Don't play fool. You clearly lead them, that makes you responsible for their actions"

"And what action would be out of the norm, Kurosaki-sama?" Gin asked mockingly.

Ichigo widened his eyes at the mention of his name. It was the first rime Gin had used it.

"After all..." Gin continued. "It's only natural for a Hollow to kill and feast upon the other's corpse. Survival of the fittest. Are you really so naïve to consider that a crime even after becoming an Arrancar yourself? And here I thought you had matured, but it seems you are still the same kid"

"You're wrong" Ichigo replied coldly.

"Ho?" Gin seemed interested in his response. "Enlighten me"

"I never said it was a crime for a Hollow to behave as such. That is just their basic nature" He explained. "On the other hand, you used to be a Shinigami, and right now, you are their leader. In that position, you should try to teach them and lead them into a more peaceful lifestyle".

"Now what are you talking about? For someone who used to hunt Hollows by sport, you sure have a lot of faith in them" Gin replied. "Do you really think that can be a Hollow's reality?"

"I don't _think_ so, I _know_ so. I trained and fought alongside Nel, Harribel and Grimmjow. I became an Arrancar myself and spoke to the spirit inside my Zanpakutou. Hollows are not even close to what Soul Society thinks they are, or even what they believe to be themselves. I learned the truth, and so I'll just go ahead and demonstrate that fact"

On the outside, Gin continued making fun of him with his scornful expression, but on the inside, he was actually intrigued by this 'truth' Ichigo spoke of.

"Interesting... So what is your objective?"

"Now that I became King of Hueco Mundo, the first thing I wanted was to reform the Espada. That's why Nel and I came to this place..." He gave a look at the girl, who was hugging her legs behind a curved stump. "After that, I'll continue to find ways to make Las Noches a nice place for Hollows to live in. Somewhere they don't have to worry about fighting and survival, and they can focus on filling their void"

Gin's smile dropped, becoming a serious expression that was very rarely seen.

"Is that... Possible?" He asked.

"Of course it is. If you want to know how though... Why don't you and your people come with us?"

Gin seemed surprised by the sudden invitation. Maybe becoming a Hollow truly had made Ichigo mature. In the past, he probably would have reacted in an aggressive way. Now though, it was clear that he didn't even need to act that way. He knew he was beyond their level, not even considering them a threat. Instead, he chose to spare them and even give them a chance to collaborate with him.

"Hehehe... Scary" Gin laughed. "Not even Aizen would've predicted that you would become _this_ powerful. His failure is just a proof of that"

"I don't think his greatest mistake was in measuring my potential though" Ichigo answered. "His greatest flaw, was not taking into account all the things I was protecting. He had nothing to lose, and while that may have seemed to be an advantage at first, in the long run, it was his downfall. His only objective, was a mere illusion he created to believe that he had a reason to do all those things... And that wasn't nearly enough"

"But then..." Gin refuted. "What would've been the reason for my failure? Are you gonna say that I lacked motive? Maybe, that what I was trying to protect wasn't enough?"

"Wrong again, Ichimaru" Ichigo replied stoically. "You didn't fail. In fact, you're one of the very few who truly defeated Aizen"

"What... What do you mean?"

"You were able to see through Aizen, and were the only one who could get as far as tricking him. The only two people who could outsmart him are: Kisuke Urahara... And Ichimaru Gin" He clarified.

"Heh, but what's the point of achieving all that if in the end, I lost. I couldn't stop him. I was a failure" Gin remembered Rangiku's tears falling on top of his dying body.

"That's not true. After all, look at yourself... Who is the one imprisoned under Squad 1s barracks? Who is the one that earned a second chance and is standing in fron of me right now?" Ichigo made him realize. "All the actions you took, all those sacrifices you made... I won't let you say it was all worthless!"

Gin widened his sky-blue eyes as he heard those facts. What he believed to be a naïve and unrealistic point of view at first, was in fact a completely valid statement and a much more precise cescription of the facts. Aizen had lost. That was the only absolute truth there was.

"And then again... Without you, I would've never had the chance to become stronger and face him again. Without you... Many friends of mine would've...!" Ichigo continued.

"Enough. I get, I get it" Gin replied. "Jeesh, If you get all sentimental I'll probably get sick and die... But, I gotta admit that's a way I didn't see things. Thank you, Kurosaki-san" He addressed him seriously, not in a mocking or overly formal way either. He respected him.

"It was nothing. I just wanted you to realize that" Ichigo said calmly.

"So, changing the topic a little bit... How far is Las Noches from here?" Gin asked in a fake uninterested way.

"For us... It was a bit more than two days. For you though, it might be a bit longer" Ichigo said with pride. "But don't worry, we can always wait for you to catch up"

"Is that so? Well, I guess there's no helping it" Gin sighed. "However, I'm gonna have to request you give us a night to recover" He said as he looked at the whole Legion, completely drained of energy in the ground. "Even I get tired of pretending that your Zanpakutou's ability wasn't that effective"

Gin moved a bit dizzy to the left, losing his balance and tripping.

"Ichimaru-dono!" Satya sprinted with his little strength to catch him.

"Oh, Satya... You didn't have to do that" Gin chuckled. "I just wanted to get a bit of sleep, that's all... Although... We should try... To at least... Lead them to the cave..." Gin murmured before falling blacking out.

Satya pamted a bit, before falling unconscious himself.

Ichigo sighed as it was all calm again, except for one thing.

"So, Nel... I imagine you know where this cave is" He said with a hint of sadness.

"Ah... Y-Yeah... I know..." She replied, with the same energy.

"Do you want to rest? I'm sure it must be hard for you... After that... You can tell me every-"

"No. Please, Ichigo... Stop doing this to me!"

"I'm sorry Nel, but I won't accept that you-" Ichigo thought she was refusing to tell the truth.

"No, that's not it! I cannot accept that you... That you... How can you speak to me with that warm voice...? How can you look at me with those eyes... After what I did...?" Nel started crying again. "What I can't stand... Is that you don't show any contempt to me after my betrayal..."

"Nel..." He looked at her with sad eyes, and embraced her. "I'm not hurt because you didn't want to tell me... I'm hurt because you lied. I... I thought you trusted me enough to tell me anything, or at least to say that it was something you didn't wanna talk about... But don't ask me to hate you when the only thing I can do is love you, Nel"

"Ichigo... Don't do this... I don't deserve it..." She tried to escape from his arms, to no avail. "You... You deserve something so much better..."

"Don't say that. We chose to be together, because we love each other" He caressed her face with his hand, washing away her tears. "We are one, Nel. How could I ever wish for something else?"

"Ichi..." She buried her face in his chest.

"Nel..." He smiled as he pat her head.

After a while calming her down, she decided to finally speak.

"Okay... It's time you learn the truth about me... This time... I promise to tell the truth, and only the truth" Nel said as she layed her head on his chest. "Ready to hear about Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, Queen of the Blood Forest?"

"I'm ready" Ichigo replied calmly, caressing her hair gently. "You don't have to leave anything out. I'll be more than glad to accept your pain"

"Okay... Well, here goes nothing..." She sighed. "I was born in this forest as a Gillian, but my very first memory is of the time I became an Adjuchas. While the physical description I gave you before is correct, my behaviour was... That of a normal Hollow, and possibly, a bit more darker. Most small Adjuchas tend to be stronger than their bigger counterparts, so it was easy for me to exploit that, overpowering every Hollow that came in my path.

After some time, I came across Bryssling, who was a squid-like Adjuchas of big-size, on one of my hunts. He begged for his life as soon as he realized how superior I was. For the first time, I actually gave it some thought, probably because I saw some use in him. In the end I decided to spare his life, at a price. He would become my subordinate, and as proof of that, I gave him the scar he now has in his left eye.

As time passed by, I continued to find both Adjuchas and Gillian who had potential, but that were weaker than I was. They all went under the same ritual, some choosing death and others a life under my command, carrying a scar in their bodies that I had carved myself, so that all my followers would have a mark to distinguish them. As a result, after a couple years, I was known as Scar Queen in the vast area of the Blood Forest"

"So that's why he called you that" Ichigo remembered.

"Yes... Honestly, I don't think that was so terrible. The part that I hate, is what I did to those who refused to become my servants" Nel painfully remembered. "I... I would torture them in so many ways... If I had the chance, I even took baths in the blood of my enemies, at the same time as I enjoyed their flesh..." She seemed unable to continue as she remembered that.

"Nel... I know that isn't the current you, so don't worry about it. Why don't you skip to the part where you met Nageki?"

"Okay. You see, in one of our group hunts, I happened to come across something I had never seen. A Hollow whose mask was broken"

"I see..."

"As soon as I saw him, I felt intrigued as to what he was. I didn't see him as an equal and neither did I recognize him as a Vasto Lorde.

Of course, my instincts told me I had to fight it to find out and... The result was rather surprising. For the first time, I had to face defeat. He had simply played with me and yet I irrevocably lost.

After I was knocked out, Nageki dragged me to a place in the desert he had arranged. There, he tried to reason with me about things such as how I wasn't supposed to kill for mere fun, how there was more to life and other stuff I thought was just... Plain bullshit at the time. I knew he wouldn't leave me alone until I showed some progress, so I decided to pretend I cared, since I was pretty good at deceiving others.

As expected, as soon as he lowered his guard, I tried to kill him, but he was prepared for that"

_"What do you think you're doing?" He asked with a smile, seeing as Nel had tried to impale him with her horns, but failed due to the fact that he slept with an almost unbreakable metal barrier covering his skin._

_"Shit!" She thought as she ran like a devil to escape his sight._ _"That guy is no normal Hollow..."_

As soon as I came back, I encountered various Hollows who wanted to kill me, taking advantage of the fact I was alone. Even then though, I was powerful enough to kill them all and feed from their carcasses. That was my last meal as an Adjuchas.

I came back to the cave Ichimaru mentioned earlier, as a Vasto Lorde. For them... It was like the Queen had returned, but it would be a lie to say I hadn't changed. Little by little, the ideas Nageki had been planting in my head started popping up with more frequency, to the point in which I ended up questioning my own existence.

The day it all changed, was one in which I fought another group of Hollows on purpose, trying to feel better, only to find that destruction would not fill my void, and that all pleasure I used to find in those sadistic actions was just an illusion"

"And then... Nageki came back I assume"

"Yeah. How did you know?" Nel looked surprised.

"Because I doubt you would've been taught of Wholes before having your mind open to said possibility"

"Ah, so that was it. Anyway... The second time he came, I decided to leave on my own. Honestly, I wanted to know what was it that made him so strong. I wanted to learn from him, for real... And that's how I ended up despising my own self for the things I used to do"

"And that turned you into the Arrancar you are today. One who hates every form of violence"

"Exactly. But nothing lasts forever. Nageki simply disappeared from my side one night. There were no goodbyes or best wishes. He just... Vanished. After that, I simply decided to look for something that truly made me happy. That's the story of how I left Scar Queen behind, and now... Please believe me, Ichigo... The last thing I want is going back to that. The rest of the story is as I told you. Pesche and Dondochakka don't know it either"

"I understand... The blood on your teeth has faded away, yet you are in infinite pain, all due to this dreadful past..." Ichigo pressed her head tightly against his chest.

"Don't try to comfort me. I am a murderer, a sadist, a coward and a traitor... That's why... I don't feel like I deserve you, Ichigo. It's simply unfair for you to be with a monster like...!"

"Shut up" Ichigo said pissed.

"Huh?"

"Stop. All you've done is rant nonsense, Nel. You know I don't care about any of that" He replied. "Sure, there's a darkness inside of you, I know because it's in me too. But now... Those days have faded away. You are the Queen of Las Noches, not of the Blood Forest. You are not the violent Scar Queen you once were, so there's no reason you should feel guilty"

"Ichigo..." Nel sadly muttered, still in disbelief because of his comprehensive reaction. "How could I...?"

"There's nothing special you have to do. As long as you start being completely honest with both yourself and those around you, there's nothing else you should worry about. I love you" He replied as they stared into each other's eyes. "Besides, you can't lie to me about _that_, Nel"

"Huh?"

"A sadist? Please. Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck is an S Class masochist, I bet my life on that" He teased her and bit her lip in a painful yet delicious kiss, making her laugh and blush.

Her heart was finally released of the crushing weight that was tormenting her. It was just like Nageki said. Ichigo loved her just as much as always.

"Fuck" She cursed. "I feel so damn stupid for lying to you in the first place, when I should've known that you would forgive me"

"Well, if you had told me the truth from the start, there would be nothing to forgive. I'm nobody to judge your past, no one is. You should be proud of the fact that you left that life behind, and that you're surrounded by people who love you unconditionally, starting with me"

"I know... And I won't ever doubt that again. You and I are one, so it's only natural that I can tell you everything. I'm sorry for not realizing that any sooner, Ichi" She cuddled and made out with him in that spot, having sorted out her past and feeling more than relieved that Ichigo accepted it.

About an hour later, Gin and the other two Arrancar seemed to slowly wake up.

"Ungh... My head hurts" Bryssling complained.

"Aum, it must be a side effect" Satya felt the same.

"Well then... think we should at least carry them to the cave" Gin proposed, holding his head as well. "Would you mind helping me with that?" He asked Ichigo and Nel.

"Um... Sure" Ichigo replied. "Nel, could you...?"

"On it. Declare, _Gamuza_"

As she turned into a centaur, Bryssling's eyes seemed to shine.

"It can't be...!" He muttered.

Ichigo noticed the great amusment in the Arrancar's expression, but decided to leave any question for later.

They all carried the inanimate, but living bodies of the Adjuchas and Vasto Lordes that had lost consciousness as a result of Ichigo's ability.

Once inside, Nel couldn't help but relive memories of darker days, though such moments meant only joy and entertainment in the past.

She sighed as she tried to focus on what Nageki and Ichigo had said. She was Ichigo's Queen, not Scar Queen. Still, a part of her was still afraid that there was even a tiny leftover of said persona hidden somewhere inside her.

"Nel" Ichigo interfered her thoughts.

"Ah, what's wrong?"

"By any chance, was the group you lead _this_ big?" He said looking at the resting Hollows inside the cave, some asleep and others just tired.

"Now that you mention it. No, not even close. I believe, I had about twenty something Hollows under my command, while Ichimaru seems to have around a hundred, though most are Adjuchas"

"That's true, but still..." He digressed for a moment. "Hey... Ichimaru" Ichigo called his attention.

"Yes, Kurosaki-san?"

"I noticed that your Legion is pretty big. Nel explained that her group was not even close to this so..."

"What? You're wondering about my recruiment methods?" Gin inquired. "You got me. We have a little expansionary policy..."

"Aum, don't be so modest Ichimaru-dono" Satya said. "Thanks to you, practically the whole Blood Forest is united under your name"

"Now you're flattering me, Satya. I just did that cause it was easier for everyone. Instead of aimlessly fighting, why not just work together and get along well?" Gin replied.

"So... Your objective was basically the same as mine, the difference only being the scale" Ichigo realized, improving his image of Gin.

"Yeah. At first I wasn't sure about what to think, but I can't deny that he's made our faction a lot stronger" Bryssling agreed. "Though... The objective has changed completely from the old days"

"Aum, don't mind him. He's a grumpy old man, always running his mouth about the past. I couldn't care less, actually. The only reason I fought you was because I sensed great power, nothing more" Satya replied neutrally.

"Hey! I'm not _that_ old! Just about... 300 years I believe" Bryssling grumbled.

"Aum, a total geezer. Anyways, what are we gonna do now, Ichimaru-dono?"

"Apparently, we are all going to Las Noches. We fought, we lost and now we must follow their orders" Gin simply replied.

"You didn't even try to fight me. Actually, what is your Zanpakutou called?"

"My Zanpakutou? Shinsou, of course" Gin said with his typical grin.

"No, your REAL Zanpakutou"

"Ah, that would be _Kamishini no Yari"_

Ichigo gave a pissed smirk at him as he replied that.

"You won't even try to tell me, will you?"

"Nope. If the time comes, then you'll see for yourself. Regardless of that, my Hollow Zanpakutou can also extend, but not nearly as fast as Shinsou. However, it is able to do a couple other things, ~Tee-Hee~"

"Okay, keep your secrets then" Ichigo said with the same look of a certain Hobbit.

Satya and Bryssling had made a fireplace in the center of the cave, illuminating the place better.

Nel started going around the place, possibly remembering more things. Ichigo decided to leave her alone and instead went to Bryssling and Satya.

"Hey, it's Bryssling, right?" He asked the more adult Arrancar.

"Right. Bryssling Bildungsroman" He said his full name.

"And you are Satya"

"Aum, Satya Żytecki. My likes are fighting and eating. My dislikes are weakness and stupidity. My activities aside from those of a normal Hollow would be meditating and writing"

"Writing, really?" Ichigo was impressed that a Hollow like him would know that.

"Aum. Ichimaru-dono taught me. He said it helps to calm one's soul. My mind is constantly drifting and showing weird stuff I don't understand whenever I'm not entirely focused on one activity. Because of this, writing a diary has really helped, and I thank Ichimaru-dono deeply for that"

"I see..." Ichigo was now more curious of Satya. Since the start he seemed like an odd fellow, but now he could confirm that there was a lot more to him.

"Well, I guess there's no need for introductions about you" Bryssling went back to the start. "I heard Ichimaru-sama call you Kurosaki-san, so I guess that's it"

"Kurosaki Ichigo, in full. Since you're not asking me for answers I guess you already know the truth about Gin"

"Yep, he never hid it. When he and Satya appeared before us, he revealed himself to be an ex-Shinigami. At first we all thought it was just a joke... But he's so different from a Hollow that I started believing him"

"I used to think that the existence such a possibility was null. Now though, the line between Hollows and Shinigami seems as blurry as ever. Three of us became Arrancar in such a short time... It's unbelievable"

"Three?"

"Yeah. There's another friend in Las Noches who went through the same. He was a Shinigami a couple days ago, but that's no more"

"Shit... And, what do you guys think of being Hollows?"

"I guess, we are still getting used to it. But at least from my personal experience... It's been great" He smiled, looking at Nel.

"Aum, you are looking at her in a strange way" Satya joned the conversation. "Or, maybe I shouldn't say strange. But it's a way I've never seen in a Hollow"

"Of course. That would be because I love her" Ichigo simply replied.

Satya tilted his head in confusion.

"Love?"

"Oh, I think I've heard of that!" Bryssling raised his hand. "It's... Like some kind of feeling... But I don't know what it is"

"I thought so. Most Hollows don't, and considering the fact that you grew in this place, it's even more understandable" Ichigo nodded. "I would try to explain it but... It's not easy, to be honest. Though believe it or not, Ichimaru can tell you about it as well" He looked at the silver haired Arrancar, who was sitting by the entrance of the cave.

"Ichimaru-dono knows?" Satya asked impressed.

"Yeah. Even I had trouble believing it at first, but he is a man who actually sacrificed everything because of his love to a certain woman. I don't think it would be appropiate that I said more though..." Ichigo muttered.

"Ichimaru-sama..." Bryssling said thoughtful.

"Hey, changing the topic a little bit, Bryssling..." Ichigo decided to ask him.

"Hm?"

"Earlier, I noticed you were quite stunned when you saw Nel's _Resurrección_. Why was that?"

"Oh, that! Well, I actually wanted to check if I was right for myself, but I had some kind of flashback when I saw her"

"Aum, what do you mean?" Satya seemed interested, despite having his usual expressionless face.

"I think I once saw something similar in this cave. Like, an image of some sort" Bryssling recalled.

"Like a drawing?" Ichigo inquired.

"Yeah, I think so. This cave is actually really large and full of different passages. Because of that, it's easy to get lost inside, but there are many curious things you can find from ancient eras. I think this drawing is really deep though"

"Hm... Would you mind if we searched for it anyway?" Ichigo wanted to see it with his own eyes.

"What a drag..." Bryssling said as he scratched his head.

"Aum, don't be lazy. Now I'm curious too" Satya replied.

"Such a pain..." Bryssling stood up. "Let's go"

Satya passed Ichigo a stick to use as a torch, and followed Bryssling deeper into the cave.

"I'll be back soon, Nel. I just want to check something" He approached her.

"Oh, okay. Try not to get lost, this place is pretty big" She replied.

"Yeah, Bryssling said so as well. Don't worry, I'll be back soon"

"Okay. If they try anything weird, don't hesitate to-"

"I know. You be wary about Gin as well. I wouldn't go as far to say he's evil, but it's impossible to know what goes through his head. If he approaches you, even if he doesn't show signs... Be very aware"

"Okay. I... I love you, Ichi" She placed her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too" He gave her a quick peck and went inside the labyrinth.

He followed the light of Satya's torch that was some meters ahead.

While his senses in general were pretty developed, the cave was too chaotic to simply work with that.

He and the other two Arrancar took about 15 minutes before reachimg the place Bryssling had mentioned.

"I think this is it" He said.

He lit up another torch that was in the wall to see the room more clearly.

"Like I thought" Bryssling said proudly, admiring the art piece.

"No way..." Ichigo murmured, looking at the ancient drawing in the wall. It was painted with delicacy, and resembled a portrait.

"Aum... It really does look like her" Satya pointed out.

In the wall, the carefully painted drawing was of a centaur Arrancar, just like Nel, with long green hair and a cross scar on top of her nose.

"So you found out" He heard the voice inside his head.

"Mugetsu! What... What's the meaning of this?"

"Well, let's just say that Nel wasn't the first Scar Queen to ever exist" He explained. "My Yukari was"

"So... Nel really is Yukari's reincarnation" Ichigo thought, being heard by Mugetsu.

"As much as you are mine, at least" The Hollow spirit replied. "I found Yukari in this same forest. After fighting hordes of Hollows I became tired and looked for a place to rest. Deeper in this forest, is a fissure that's always bathed in the moonlight. That place is known as the Hidden Gardens, and there... I saw her. Gorgeus, powerful, exotic... I don't know... My mind just... Blew in that moment"

"And what happened?"

"Heh, to my surprise... She was expecting me"

_"So, you are the one that's been retiring the weaklings in my army" She softly said as she sat on a rock covered in aquamarine weeds, the moon illuminating her like she was the only one worthy of being bathed in its light._

_"Army? Are you by any chance the Scar Queen those beasts seem to adore?" Mugetsu asked back._

_"The one and only. You see, while I'm grateful that you served as a filter, I cannot allow you to continue doing as you please in my dominion"_

_"Oh, really? Sorry about that. Actually, I was about to leave. I just wanted a nice place where I could rest for a little while, but... Now I cannot simply let you go" Mugetsu grinned._

_"What a coincidence" She stood from her spot and pointed her blade with a sadistic look. "It's been so long since I've tasted the blood of a truly powerful Arrancar... This is a golden opportunity I cannot miss" She giggled madly as she charged against him._

"Damn, that vicious smile she used to have..." Mugetsu laughed. "We fought for a whole night, although... I think I could've easily ended earlier but, I believe you've seen it. Just how beautiful does Nel look when she fights?"

"Can't argue with that" Ichigo agreed. "Then, how did she change?" Ichigo wondered.

"Oh, those were different times. After I defeated her, I went back to Las Noches with her as a reward, of course, against her will" Mugetsu chuckled. "She hated me at first, I'm sure! But you know... As time passed by, something kinda... Bloomed between us. It's difficult to explain, but I believe we always connected in some special way, so sooner or later, it was meant to happen... Before we knew it, we became Wholes"

"Damn... So it was a lot harder for you. I was lucky to find an already peaceful and sweet girl when I met Nel... Though she has always been a bit rough" He remembered the various ways in which she playfully hurt him back then.

"You can thank Nageki for that. Though remember, while you may be our reincarnations, that doesn't mean you're the same people. You are unique in many ways, so Nel isn't defined to be like Yukari in every sense. It was possibly a tease from destiny that the two were leaders of violent Hollow factions, recognized by the scars inflicted by their female warlord. The most impressive fact I can make out of this, is that such a piece of art is still in almost perfect state in this day and age. How many years has it been...?"

"An eternity for sure"

"Probably. Well, if you have any doubts, meet me in your dreams. I'm gonna leave you so you can interact with these two in the normal world" Mugetsu said goodbye.

"Okay. See you later" Ichigo bid him farewell too.

"Hey, you!" Bryssling called his attention.

"Ah, what's wrong?" Ichigo asked.

"You spaced out for a little while. I was asking you what you think?"

"That it's amazing" Ichigo said with admiration.

"Yeah. She looks almost just like our Scar Queen..."

"Hey, Bryssling. I know you probably have good memories of those times, but I would appreciate if you didn't say those things in front of Nel" Ichigo said a bit serious.

"O-Okay..." The Arrancar sighed, not willing to argue with someone whose sole pressence could overwhelm him.

"Aum, will you show this to her?" Satya asked Ichigo.

"Not yet. Not until she's sorted out this whole Scar Queen thing. It might not be easy... But it's something she has to do eventually, and while the real fight is hers, I will support her in every way possible"

"I've never seen an Arrancar speak like that. Seems like you really are not of this world" Bryssling said.

"Indeed. But believe me, if everything goes like I planned... Soon, everyone will understand the meaning of these words"

~~~~X~~~~

"So... Nelliel, right? It's been a while since I saw you. Well, it's actually been some time since you last saw me, I'm sure... Nnoitra told us you had been killed somewhere, but I never believed him to be honest. Seems like I was right after all. Oh, by the way, I also saw your performance against him and it was awesome. I'm sure you'd have easily crushed him if you had been in your full potential"

"What do you want, Ichimaru?" Nel asked him with distrust.

"Oi, oi... What's with the hostility? I just want a little idle chat while those three come back"

"Really...?" She still looked at him with an inquisitive expression, but sighed and played the part. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"Well, I overheard my subordinate and... I can't say I'm uninterested in your past with him. You're the one who gave them those scars, right?"

"Yes, I was. What of it?" She was pissed.

"N-Nothing, I just... Thought it was quite impressive coming from such a calm and peaceful Arrancar like you" A drop of sweat seemed to appear on his face.

"People can change, okay? And Ichigo has taught me Arrancar can do it as well"

"Ichigo, huh? I couldn't help but notice you two are really close actually..."

"Yes, we are. Anything else you want to meddle into?"

"Eh? No, that was really not my inention" Gin seemed confused. "I'm simply... Shocked by the fact that an Arrancar learned to truly love"

"I could say the same about you... Oh, wait, I can't. You are a coldblooded snake, right?" She said with a smile, though she knew that it wasn't a nice thing to say, but she only did it because of the way in which Gin was trying to get information out of her.

"That's mean... I didn't expect that from you Nel-san" Gin pretended to be hurt, covering his Hollow Hole with his hand. "But I'm sorry to say, you're wrong about that"

"What? You're now gonna tell me you once loved someone else?" Nel couldn't believe him, not after seeing his cold behaviour first-handedly.

"Hehehe... Not gonna lie. I doubt I ever loved anyone else but her... But yes, I actually _did_ love a woman"

"If that's the case, tell me about that. I'm actually intrigued by this" She did not lie.

"Very well then.

It all started about a bit more than a hundred years ago, more or less, when we were kids. I found her unconscious in the soil as I wandered through the Rukongai District, a large poor area of the Soul Society.

You see, she had collapsed due to hunger, so I gave her dried persimmon and took care of her. We started living together afterwards"

"So you two were orphans? It's not weird for me but, Ichigo has told me about the importance of families and stuff"

"It's not rare in the Rukongai District. Some people die, others disappear, it's natural that many orphans live in that place. The only thing we know, is our names, probably in the same way you know yours" Gin explained.

"I understand"

"Anyway, I once discovered some strange people in the same place where I found her, storing a bright ball of Reiatsu inside a strange object I didn't recognize back then, but I did understand what had happened. It was no coincidence that she was in such a deplorable state when I found her. They had taken a part of her soul, and that's something I would never forgive, so that was the moment I decided to kill the man behind it all... Aizen"

"Wait. Ichigo told me about your intent to defeat Aizen, but this means... The plan to betray him was-"

"Yes. It was something I decided way back. I became a Shinigami with the sole objective of becoming close to that man, learning his weaknesses, trying to find the slightest possibility, while still scheming a way to make him pay in the process... And when I finally thought I had him. I failed. I couldn't take back what was taken from her..." Gin's tone was legitimately sad. Even covered by his grin, it was a sadness Nel could feel.

"So, in the end... Everything you did was because of her"

"Yes. I dedicated my whole life to that goal, so that she would never have to cry again... But instead I failed, and as a result of my _F__ailure_, she cried as my body lost its life..."

"Wow... Ichimaru, I... I don't know what to say..." Nel felt ashamed of treating him so poorly before.

"Don't worry. I understand that people are more distant, or even show spite towards me. My attitude and actions give them a fair amount of reasons to do so" He admitted. "I just harvest what I planted"

"Just out of curiosity... What was the woman's name?"

"Hm? Do you really need to know?" Gin seemed evasive about that.

"Not really... Sorry for asking more of what I should have"

Gin gave it some thought though, and considered how Nel probably wouldn't know even if he told her.

"*sigh* I guess I can tell you, as long as you promise not to tell anyone else, though Kurosaki-san surely knows..." He finally decided.

"Really?"

"Yeah. So what do you say?"

"I promise!" Nel's female impulse was getting the better of her.

"How eager..." He chuckled. "Her name is... Rangiku"

As soon as she heard that name, she saw the face of the woman and became mute. Her smile turned into a face of shock.

"No way..."

"What's wrong? It's like you suddenly became pale" Gin observed. "Don't tell me you..." His blue eyes opened.

"The man Rangiku-san used to love so much... It can't be..." She muttered in denial. "Are you telling me Ichimaru sacrificed everything because of Rangiku's happiness?" She thought.

"Nel-san. By any chance, would you happen to know Rangiku?" He asked seriously, his eyes staring straight at hers.

"I..." Nel doubted telling him for a moment. "I do. But I don't know her much, I just happened to come across her when we were at Urahara's"

"Ah... I see" Gin said more calmly. "So... How was her?"

"She seemed happy. That day, she picked an attire for me and seemed glad to see me wearing it. That was it"

"That Rangiku... She always liked that kind of stuff" Gin giggled. "Well, Nel-san. I gotta say that I did not expect you to know her, but this being the case, just... If you see her again, don't... Don't tell her about me, okay?"

"Why?" Nel asked confused. After all his speech about his love, he didn't want her to know he was alive?

"Because I am a failure. It's better if I simply... Disappear" He replied. "Rangiku is so young and beautiful... I'm sure someone else will be able to make her happy, _if_ she's not merry enough on her own" He chuckled nervously.

"Ichimaru... I understand your feelings. Only a while ago, I felt the same way because of my past and the pain I inflicted upon Ichigo because of my lies" Nel replied. "However, he did not feel that way about me. Ichigo loves me so much that he easily forgave me. That made me realize, that my wish to leave him was only one-sided, and it was not born of empathy but of cowardice. '_I_ feel I'm not good enough' or '_I_ don't deserve this' are just selfish thoughts to feel better with oneself and not face reality. It's an egoist decision and it is totally unfair for the other person. Now that I understand it... I couldn't be more ashamed of having thought that way myself... And that's why I am telling you, please don't do that to Rangiku. It's not good for anyone"

"But... It's different" Gin tried to convince himself. "She thinks I'm dead, and, in fact I am. My Shinigami self does not exist anymore so... There's no harm"

"How can you say there's no harm when _you_ are suffering?! How can you say that after you saw her crying as you died?!" All the Adjuchas and Vasto Lordes that were awake directed their looks at the discussion. "Those tears..." Nel started crying herself as she remembered the times Ulquiorra had 'killed' Ichigo. "Those tears are the worst. Cause when your loved one dies... It's like a part of you dies with them... It is a pain so deep, that it's the same as if you were dying inside...!"

"Did I really make Rangiku feel that way...?" Gin thought as he witnessed the pain such memory gave to Nelliel. "I don't know the meaning behind of this... But I can see that she knows what she's talking about"

"Ichimaru... How long have you been dying inside?" Nel asked him, drying her tears. "All those years, doing things you despised, wasting time and energy in all that shit while your heart only wanted to be with Rangiku...!"

The silver-haired man couldn't take it anymore. He grinded his teeth as he swallowed all the sorrow.

"How much longer will you wear that mask? That fake smile that only inflicts pain upon yourself..." Nel's hazel eyes looked at him with pity and anger. "If you do this to Rangiku... _Then_, you will be the greatest failure you can imagine...!"

"Stop. Please..." Gin's voice sounded upset as he begged. For the first time, he could not keep his composure. "I..." He covered his face with one hand. "I get it..." A tear fell from under his hand, despite his intent to keep any show of weakness hidden, his throat producing a gagging sound as he forced himself not to cry. "I will get out of here... And I will see her again. Whatever happens later, will be up to her. But you're right. I won't make a selfish decision while her heart and mine are torn to shreds"

"Good" Nel concluded with a sniff. "I'm sorry for getting like this too... But believe it or not, I've felt that way a couple times. In spite of the fact that Ichigo is alive right now, mark my words when I say that just the illusion of losing him has left scars in my heart far greater than any of the ones I inflicted upon them" She said as she looked at her past subordinates. "And this pain... Is the price we have to pay in exchange of the strength bonds give us. I was taught that there was a lot more than violence in this world... By someone a really long time ago, someone who is unable to really form bonds himself, but even so, tried his best in making me cherish them. Ichigo made me understand it, and for me it's no surprise that his power is so great after caring so much for us all. There's no greatest source of strength other than protecting what you love most"

"I must say, you're a fascinating Arrancar, Nel-san" Gin regained his composure.

"Huh?"

"You've come to understand something even geniuses like Aizen have yet to grasp. It's no wonder they don't though, as it's not a measurable quality, yet it seems to be the most defining aspect in every outstanding fighter I've seen. Either an unbreakable will..." He remembered Yamamoto. "An insatiable thirst for battle..." Kenpachi came to mind. "Or the selfless desire to protect your friends..." He thought of Ichigo. "...These all have turned out to be the source of strength for the best of the best"

As Gin concluded that point, Ichigo and the other two Arrancar came back to the main cave.

"...I told you it was a long walk" Bryssling was saying.

"I know, but _you_ got lost on the way back, making it longer. Don't try to pretend you're not at fault" Ichigo replied.

"Aum, it's pathetic, Bryssling"

"Shut up, Satya!"

Gin laughed as he saw Ichigo quarrel with the other two.

"I see you've become good friends in this little while" He commented.

"Me, friends with this guy? Give me a break..." Bryssling pointed at Ichigo.

"I could say the same about you. It's been some time since I found a brute that was so annoying" Ichigo spat back, making the scene similar to a typical encounter with Renji or Grimmjow.

"Yep, it seems they get along well" Nel happily said.

"Hey, Nel... Why are your eyes like...?" Ichigo noticed she had been crying. "Ichimaru, what did you do to her?!"

"No, Ichigo! It's not his fault... I just, happened to remember something sad" It was true in the end.

"Is that so? I'll let it slide then, but you better not test your luck" He gave Gin a threatening look.

"Oh, how terrifying... You know I wouldn't dare to mess with your Queen" Gin lied mockingly, as he had been bothering her at first, and he definitely was now with that scornful tone of his.

"Ichi, can you kick his ass?" Nel gave him permission.

"I was wondering when were you going to ask..."

"No, wait! I was just joking, really!" He moved his hands from side to side nervously.

"Too late for that" Ichigo did a smirk.

"Satya...! Bryssling...! C'mon guys, say something! You know I wouldn't...!"

"Actually, you love teasing everyone, so it's to be expected that you would fuck up eventually" Bryssling replied.

"Aum, you brought this upon yourself, Ichimaru-dono" Satya agreed.

"Well, it seems everyone's awake..." Ichigo gave a look at the group of weaker Hollows, who were all looking at the scene awkwardly. "...So I'll give you a chance to escape. If you get to Las Noches before I get you and kick your ass, you're free. How's that? Damn, sometimes I'm amazed by how benevolent I've become as a king..."

"Las Noches is...?"

"Straight north from the forest. How about I give you ten seconds?"

"Thirty?"

"Fifteen. Take it or leave it"

"Ah, shit"

Gin's smirk became a nervous smile as he started running.

"What are you waiting for? You are coming too. If you take too long I won't feel sorry to hurt you either" Ichigo said to the Hollows of the cave, who immediately followed after their leader.

"Are you sure they won't get lost?" Nel asked him. "I can see the fear in their eyes"

"Nah, and if they do, I'll find them. Let's get moving"

"Okay" The three Arrancar nodded.

~~~~X~~~~

**And so, the missing links are found and now head towards Las Noches. This Chapter turned out to be longer than I expected, but here we are. Lots of feels in this one!**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The legendary Zoroark: _Hm! Fascinating. To be honest, I have no idea what to think of this specific chapter. I will admit though that I wasn't expecting Neliel to have such a "dark and bloody" past! Then again, Hueco Mundo is THE realm of Hollows. And even someone as "human" as Neliel couldn't have always been that way. It would explain things though on why she abhorred violence along with Nnoitora's view on battle. Those things must've reminded her of her "bad blood"._**

**_What'll happen next? I'm quite sure that Ichigo and Neliel will most definitely have a LOOONG talk, but how will it affect their future(s) together? Will they drift apart? Forgive and (eventually) forget? Or worse than that? I must say that the answer that awaits next chapter is killing me! I MUST KNOW MORE!_**

**Reply: First time getting this reaction from you, which means I'm doing well****. I wanted to explain Nel's development into what we know today as well as justify how a Hollow like her could have an aspect of death like Betrayal.**

**In the end though, for the way in which I built their relationship and character, it would be very hard to believe a rupture could occur for something like this, especially at this point. We all know how Ichigo is, and while it certainly isn't easy to withstand lies, he is easily capable of forgiving friends, and most certainly his Whole. More than forgetting, I'd say Ichigo wants Nel to truly overcome her past, and said thing is important if she wants to keep growing further**** as an Arrancar as well.**

**le-maru: _Couldn't they turn her into a hollow first? Her hollow brother was able to knock her soul out of her body, wasn't he? Just yank the chain connecting her to it until it pops out. Or do what Urahara did to Ichigo. Or I guess Ichigo and Ulquiorra might think that would be too painful to want to put her through it? It's her choice though... maybe Ulquiorra - who is smart enough to think of the possibility - is being both selfish and unselfish. He doesn't want to hurt her, even for his own benefit. But that's selfish because that choice is born out of his own feelings instead of taking hers into consideration. Or maybe he was just caught by surprise so suddenly he won't think of such options until later._**

**Reply: At the time yes, Ichigo was too shocked to think of other ways, though of course, he and Ulquiorra would be against any ways that meant pain or stress to her. There is always a better way to do something, and Ichigo is gonna keep learning about his power to find a solution. Ulquiorra is not perfect, and even after everything he's learned, a whole life lacking emotion and empathy is hard to leave behind, but he's doing his best to understand others and especially Orihime, so his selfish and unselfish desires would be 50/50.**

**See you all next chapter, where we're getting back into the Demon business.**

**Evhron out.**


	27. Fear Is The Enemy

Ulquiorra was soaring through the skies around Las Noches, looking for any irregular activity, just like Ichigo had ordered him.

"Huh? What's that...?" He muttered as a giant sand cloud was getting closer. "Don't tell me...!" His eyes widened as he felt the Reiatsu coming from it.

About a hundred Hollows were approaching Las Noches, lead by an especially powerful pressure that seemed somewhat familiar to him.

The stampede stopped by one of the main entrances to the palace, guarded by clones of Rudbornn as well as a pair of miscellaneous Arrancar.

Ulquiorra went back to the ground to take care of the matter himself.

"Well..." Gin panted. "It looks like... There will be no... _Batsu-Game_ for us..." He had his hands on his knees as he tried to get his breath back.

"What in the world... Ichimaru?!" Ulquiorra asked in shock.

Gin looked up to meet the jade eyes of Ulquiorra, surprised to see him as well.

"Ulq...iorra? You resurrected too...?" Gin tilted his head.

"Somehow... Though definitely not in the best way" Ulquiorra replied bitterly, but sighed afterwards. "In spite of that, I've found my new life to be quite enjoyable to say the least. You'll be surprised to find that there is yet another Espada that apparently left this world, although I wasn't alive at that moment. You should know better"

"Is that so? Well, it seems like fate is really capricious these days"

"More importantly, what is the meaning of this?" He asked, looking at the large amount of Adjchas and the couple Vasto Lordes that were behind him.

"Oh... You see, I resurrected as an Arrancar in a place known as the Blood Forest. I have no idea how or why... But going back to them, that place is specifically filled with very powerful Hollows that, me and a little friend I made along the way, defeated. As a result, I became their leader for a couple weeks" Gin resumed. "But it seems that things have been far more complicated out here. If Kurosaki-san had to become King of Hueco Mundo... I can only imagine the peril we're into"

"So Ichigo found you" Ulquiorra seemed glad to hear that. "Where is he?"

"Right here" He walked among the exhausted members of the Legion of the Serpent, unable to keep up with the Arrancar's pace, but forced by Ichigo to do so. "Looks like I was a bit rough with them..."

"You're not at fault, Ichi. They deserved so for threatening us back there" Nel joined them as well. "And besides, I didn't use my _Resurrección_ or _Velocidad_, so it wasn't that much of an effort. We even gave them rests in between"

"Yeah... You're right. Still, for powerful Hollows they sure have a long way to go. I can see why Aizen turned every Hollow he could into Arrancar as fast as possible... In this form, they wouldn't stand a chance"

"Aum. They are only useful against enemies of their level. Actually, if you're planning to train them so that they become Arrancar, that's not happening. Only the Vasto Lordes can do that, so it's pointless forcing the others"

"There is another way to do that" Ichigo said, grabbing the tesseract in his chain necklace.

"Are you gonna turn them into Arrancar right away?" Nel asked him.

"No. They are not ready for that. Even for Hollows, they are too wild and violent. I want them to understand that Las Noches is nothing like the Blood Forest. They have to understand the meaning of peace and cooperation. Once they get that, I'll see wether they are fit to become Arrancar and live here" Ichigo replied seriously.

"I guess you _are_ a King after all" Bryssling commented. "That kind of thinking is certainly of a leader. Despite the fact that I've been the head of this group before... I know I'm not a natural commander. I'm just a musclehead... But even so, I know I can be of use to people like you and Ichimaru-sama"

"Don't take it the wrong way, but I'm surprised to see you're so self aware, Bryssling" Ichigo admitted.

"Hey, everyone has at least a small notion of themselves, even idiots like myself" He replied with pride.

"Aum, you make it sound so important yet you're only statinv the obvious, Bryssling"

"What's that?!" The Arrancar angrily spat back.

"Hey, Satya, I remember you said that you hate stupidity, then why...?" Ichigo asked in a more subtle way so that Bryssling wouldn't notice.

"Aum, I do hate him, Kurosaki-san. But unfortunately, Ichimaru-dono told me to spare him and that we tried our best to work together so... *sigh* There's not much of a choice" Satya replied with a tired voice.

"So that's it..." Ichigo said in reply, comprehensively.

"Well, I'm glad to see you two came back safely" Ulquiorra smiled a bit at Nel and Ichigo. "You should go to the Throne Room. I'm sure everyone will be very happy. And I'm certain that they will be more than surprised once they notice our new additions..." He concluded as he gave Gin another look, still in disbelief.

"Yeah. Are you coming with us too?" He asked back.

"No. I'm still worried that the Oni are up to something right now. I know them better than anyone so... It's better if I keep my watch"

"Oh, right" Ichigo understood. "Th-Thank you for the hard work, Ulquiorra. Because of that I can be a tad calmer with the current situation, so I really appreciate it"

"No... I'm just doing what you ordered me, Ichigo. And... I'm also doing my best because of Inoue. I would never forgive myself if something happened to her" He admitted that there was a personal interest in that activity as well.

"Of course" Ichigo nodded. "About that... I'm still thinking of a good way to help you two... You know... To help you with _that_" Ichigo muttered, but Nel heard it.

"Thank you, Ichigo. I... I really can't find a way to express my gratitude... But I can tell you, you don't know how happy it makes it that you accept it"

"No need to say that. I was the one at fault for acting like a douche the other day. Love is love... I cannot forbid you two of being together, and Inoue is one of my best friends... Believe me when I say that I want her to be as happy as she can be" Ichigo smiled. "However... That also implies that I will not forgive you if she becomes miserable because of you"

"If that's the case... Make sure to kill me as slowly and painfully as possible" Ulquiorra accepted the threat wholeheartedly.

"I'll mark your words. Then" Ichigo put his hand on the shoulder of the Espada and walked past him. "Okay everyone, follow me! Once inside, I'll make sure you understand the rules here. Once that is clear, you can sleep and eat to your heart's content!"

"Y-Yes, Kurosaki-sama!" The Hollows replied nervously but firmly.

They arrived at the Throne Room, leaving the large group of Hollows outside.

Inside the room, they encountered Harribel, who was talking to Rudbornn.

"...Understood, Harribel-sama. Oh! Welcome back my King, my Queen..." He bowed, looking and sounding just like Ulquiorra when Ichigo had just become an Arrancar.

"Hi, Rudbornn. You know... It's not necessary for you to-"

"No, my King. These formalities are what distinguishes a royal servant from a common citizen of Las Noches. I am proud to be at your service" He pressed his right fist against his chest.

"Okay... If you're fine doing that, I have nothing else to say" Ichigo replied, a bit uncomfortable. Even now, it seemed impossible for him to get accustomed to the way he was treated now by any other individual that didn't know him personally.

"Thank you, my King. Now, if you'll excuse me, Harribel-sama asked me to communicate a message to other Arrancar regarding the Palace's reconstruction" He stood up again.

"Sure, good luck" Ichigo nodded.

"Ichigo, Nel-sama" Harribel walked to them. "How did everything go?"

Ichigo looked at Nel for a moment. He knew it had been a difficult experience for her at first, so he preferred that she replied.

"Really good, Tier! Ichigo and I found a whole crew of powerful Hollows, as well as three other Arrancar" She replied with her typical cheerful attitude. The last thing she wanted was worry her friend in that moment, amd besides, she knew deeply in her heart that one day she would be able to explain it all to her closest friends, so she wasn't being dishonest.

"Really? Do they have aspects of death?" Harribel inquired.

"Actually... We didn't really..." Ichigo admitted.

"Yes. We do" A voice Harribel recognized replied.

"What?! Isn't that voice...?" Harribel's emerald eyes were widened.

"Yes. That voice indeed belongs to the previous Commander of Aizen's Army, now current leader of the Legion of the Serpent" The man replied with his smirk as he walked towards the three, followed by Satya and Bryssling. "Long time no see, Harribel"

Harribel was astonished to find out he was alive, but all things considered, she had already seen an impossible revival in Ulquiorra and the miraculous apparition of Lilynette.

"Ichimaru..." She muttered. "How is it that...?"

"*sigh* You know, I know it's not yours or anyone's fault... But I'm getting tired of that question" Gin replied with a forced smirk. "I have no idea. Though probably... Someone like Urahara Kisuke would be able to theorize something"

"That's true. Urahara is always able to come up with an explanation... Somehow" Ichigo agreed, thoughtful.

"More importantly, Ichimaru, you said that you three have an aspect of death?" Nel asked.

"Yes, that's correct" He gave a nod.

"Then... What is it?" Ichigo inquired.

Bryssling and Satya looked at Gin, looking for a sign of decline or confirmation.

"It's alright. There's no reason to hide it anymore" Gin told them. "In fact, I believe you two should be able to tell mine... Nel-san, Kurosaki-san"

"You mean it is...?" Ichigo imagined the only possibility.

"_...Deception?" _Nel completed the thought.

"Wow, you're really good at this" Gin clapped a bit. "That is correct. I lived by the art of deceiving others and died that way as well..."

"I see..." Harribel said in an understanding way.

Once he shared that information, there was green light for the other two Arrancar as well.

"Well. If Ichimaru-sama revealed it, there's no way I can refuse" Bryssling stated. "My aspect of death, is _Oppressio__n_

Ichigo remembered the whip, thinking it made sense.

Despite the actions of his partners, Satya was still unsure about sharing his aspect of death.

"Aum... Is it... Really fine if we just...?" He asked Gin.

"Well, I won't force you, Satya. But I believe that they want to confirm wether we are fit to be Espada, right?" He guessed right.

"Yes. That's true, Ichimaru. But, if he's uncomfortable sharing it, I don't think it is a problem. As long as you are saying the truth, I'll choose to trust your word"

Nel looked at Satya with pity. It reminded her of herself. The feeling of having an especially dark aspect of death was not pleasant, at all. Added to the fact that Satya was basically a teen, it must've been pretty hard for him to open up with that.

"You see... Satya has a very interesting aspect of death, and his abilities are also quite... Unconventional" Bryssling explained.

"Is that so?" Harribel asked, intrigued by the lilac haired boy.

"Aum. I'm not... I'm not ashamed of it" Satya replied. "But I don't like mentioning it. Ichimaru-dono was the first person I ever met to withstand my power and accept me. All the others... Are dead"

"Oh. But, we are all very strong, Satya-kun" Nel tried to calm him. "I don't think your power can be so disastrous in our presence, and trust me, no one here will be afraid of you"

"Aum..." Satya still seemed unwilling.

"You see, Nel-san, Satya's power is not ineffective against powerful beings. His ability, is one that has to do more with the strength of the soul" Gin explained.

"Ah, so that's it" Ichigo replied. "In that case, don't worry Satya, I trust you"

"Aum, thank you, Kurosaki-dono" Satya seemed more at ease.

"Now then, I need everyone to regroup so that I can formally establish the new Espadas"

"Okay. Grimmjow went to train with Abarai-san again and I believe Kuchiki-san accompanied them to serve as a healer" Harribel replied. "For obvious reasons, they are outside the walls of the palace"

"What about the others?" Ichigo asked.

"I believe Inoue-san went to see Nageki-san for some reason. My Fracciones and Ashido-san are currently training inside Las Noches, near her, in the red towers. Finally. Lilynette is sleeping in the room where she used to live with Starrk"

"Very well. Please tell her to come, Harribel. Nel, can you bring Grimmjow and company?" He asked kindly.

"Sure, Ichigo" She nodded with a smile. "I'll be right back"

"Pesche! Dondochakka!" Ichigo called them, as he knew they were always laying around.

The sound of feet quickly hitting the floor was heard from a corridor.

"Yes, Ichigo-sama?" Pesche and Dondochakka asked with a soldier's posture.

"Pesche, please tell Orihime and Nageki to come here. I'll leave Ashido and the girls to you, Dondochakka"

"On it!" Pesche agreed.

"I'll do it as quickly as possible" Dondochakka nodded and moved.

Ichigo sat on the staircase to his throne, casually inviting the three guests to occupy the seats in front of him.

"What's this? You don't use that magnificent throne over there?" Gin asked surprised.

"No. As long as I haven't ensured the basic conditions I promised when I became King, I have no right to use that"

"How noble..." He complimented.

"Aum, you never stop to amaze me, Kurosaki-dono" Satya agreed.

"Really? I think it's only fair that I do it this way" Ichigo replied.

"But being a King isn't about fairness, Kurosaki-san. It is a monarchy, not a democracy" Gin refuted.

"Is that so?" Ichigo said carelessly. "Guess I'll never truly act like a King. But at least for me, that's okay..."

About half an hour later, everyone was reunited, just like Ichigo had requested.

Gin and his companions were in another room, as Ichigo wanted to introduce them properly.

"So you're back" Grimmjow told him.

"Yeah, and Nel and I found what we were looking for"

"That means... The Espada are complete?" Rukia asked amazed, as the objective had been fulfilled in such a short amount of time.

"Well, I wouldn't say for sure. It depends on everyone's choice. If someone doesn't want to be an Espada, I won't obligate him. I want everyone to feel comfortable with their position and, being an Espada means a lot more responsibility"

"Ichigo is right" Nageki agreed. "In fact, I don't feel comfortable joining the Espada for two reasons. The first one being that, I feel like I was part of a generation of Espada that has disappeared, so I think it's only right that I disaopear with it, which leads me to the second point: I will be leaving this world in three weeks from now"

Everyone that didn't know looked at him in shock.

"Wait... Aren't you... Immortal?" Harribel asked confused.

"Only as long as I create the elixir of eternal life, and I decided to destroy the material to create that. I have finally fulfilled my mission, so now I think it is time for me to die"

Orihime sadly looked at the floor as he said that, since he had told her of that a while ago.

"I understand Nageki's decision, and accept it completely" Ichigo replied, before anyone could object something else. "He even went as far as to help us instead of disappearing right away, for which I thank you deeply"

"Thank you, Ichigo" Nageki nodded with a smile.

"Now, to the current task. We found a whole group of Hollows in a place known as the Bkood Forest. They are stronger than normal ones, but most of them were only Adjuchas. There is a handful of Vasto Lordes as well, but they all have yet to be taught the rules and lifestyle of Las Noches. Before they understand that, it is impossible for me to decide to turn them into Arrancar" Ichigo explained. "Despite that, there are three Arrancar who lead the group and bear aspects of death, making them fitting candidates for the Espada. Please, come in"

The three Arrancar entered the room, curiously looking around as to what faces they would find.

The rest, on the other hand, were simply shocked when they saw the silver haired Arrancar that was in the trio.

Lilynette even stopped yawning as she recognized her previous Commander.

Renji and Rukia felt cold sweat as the sole presence of the man stole their voice.

"No... This has to be a trick... An illusion...!" Rukia thought.

Ashido, on his part, was impressed by the clothes of the Arrancar, very reminiscent of what his attire used to be in the Forest of Menos. Such a memory seemed distant as he gave a look at his white clothing, which made him look like any other Arrancar in Las Noches.

"Oh, what do we have here? I see a couple old faces here and there, as well as some of my previous acquaintances back in Soul Society" Gin happily pointed out.

"Just what the fuck is going on?" Grimmjow muttered. "First Ulquiorra, then Lilynette and now... This? It must be a goddamn joke..."

"Oh, I'm aware of how astonishing this situation is. I haven't been able to come up with a reason myself, but, this is how fate has played" Gin simply replied.

"That is no fake..." Rukia thought. "That voice, that manner of speaking, that suffocating feeling I get whenever he opens his mouth. He is without a doubt, Ichimaru Gin"

"But if Ichimaru is alive... That means...!" Orihime thought about Rangiku immediately.

"Well, I'm sure you are all having a hard time digesting this... I was just as shocked at first but, this is reality" Ichigo clarified. "I'm sure you all will have trouble trusting him at first, but I think everyone deserves a second chance... And those who became enemies in order to kill a greater evil from inside, deserve it even more. That's why I'll gladly accept Ichimaru in the Espada"

Mixed looks were directed towards the smiling individual. Some of surprise, others of distrust and even some of fear.

Gin sighed as his expectations were fulfilled: No one was happy to see him again.

Although that was no surprise for him, it was still a bit depressing to see what his previous life had achieved. Even after trying his best, his final intent ended up in a failure. As a result, the only legacy he left in his world was pain and distrust, or so he felt.

"Whatever..." Grimmjow spat. "We have no time to be going in circles about this. If they are gonna join the Espada, that's fine by me... As long as they prove they have the strength"

"Aum, that Arrancar is right. Espada are ranked, so it's only natural that we fight in order to see who the strongest is" Satya spoke, looking at Grimmjow with a combined expression of bloodlust and defiance.

"You have guts, kid" Grimmjow grinmed. "But I'm sorry to say... There are five of us who won't be competing in that"

"Why?" Bryssling asked.

"Simple. Because we are on a completely different level" Harribel replied. "We have achieved a level above _Resurrección_, or, in the King's case... His power is simply out of reach"

"C'mon, it's not that great..." Ichigo said a bit embarrassed.

"No. I have no doubts regarding the King" Bryssling said. "Kurosaki-sama defeated us all just by entering his _Resurrección_. I doubt there is another Hollow capable of doing that... But, wait a second! A level above _Resurrección_?!"

"Aum, I heard it as well" Satya nodded.

"Now that's something I'd be delighted to see" Gin commented.

"Anyways... The point is that the only ones that will be ranked are those from number 5 to 9"

"So everyone is basically assured with one place" Ashido pointed out.

"Not really. While there are five candidates and five positions... That doesn't mean that everyone _will_ become an Espada. In the case one fails to qualify in terms of strength, said Arrancar will still be able to be part of the army, just not an Espada, and even then, the chance to train and become stronger to achieve the position always exists" Harribel clarified. "It's true that we're in a rush... However, we need the Espada to exceed the capabilities of a normal Arrancar, now more than ever"

"Thank you, Harribel" Ichigo agreed. "So... Ashido, Lilynette, Ichimaru, Bryssling and Satya... You will have to fight to test your power overall"

"Oh really? Let's make it quick then, so I can go back to sleep..." Lilynette stretched her muscles a bit as she yawned again, spreading it to Satya.

"Grimmjow, like always, I see you're full of energy. Wanna test them yourself?" Ichigo requested him.

"I sure as hell do!" The Espada chuckled.

"Perfect. No going into _Segunda Etapa_ though"

"Yeah, yeah... I won't need it against these small fries anyway!"

"Who are you calling small fry, punk?!" Bryssling growled.

"Aum, I'll make you swallow those words" Satya made a shaking incongruent gesture with his hand, showing he was pissed, even though his face did not express that.

"We'll see about that... Where to?" Grimmjow asked abiut the location.

"Why don't you go to the red towers' area? That way you'll have a lot of space" Mila Rose offered.

"Yeah, we were training with Ashido-kun some minutes ago" Apacci added. "It's a great place"

"Good enough. I once had my best solo fight in that same place..." Grimmjow remembered his battle against Ichigo.

"Just, be careful with my lab, please" Nageki asked politely, but worried as well.

"Tch... I'll see what I can do" Grimmjow closed his eyes as he put his hands inside his pockets. "Besides, it doesn't depend on me..." He looked at the candidates. "...But on them"

They all moved to the appointed place, followed by the Legion of the Serpent as well as attracting many other Arrancar to the area as well.

"So... Wanna go first, tough guy?" He asked Bryssling.

"Sure. A veteran like me should be able to teach you a thing or two" He said with pride.

"Ho? Now this is getting interesting. Don't disappoint me, old man!"

"For those of you, who don't get reason..." Bryssling prepared his multiple whip. "...Lash by lash, you'll learn a lesson"

Bryssling and Grimmjow clashed fist to fist, equally. Of course, the destructive Espada wasn't using his full potential, but he could feel in that first punch that Bryssling was without a doubt, a strong man.

"This guy reminds me of Yammy a bit, but the fact that he doesn't act or speak that stupidly makes him a lot more likeable than that asshole" He thought.

"Nice start right there! Let's see how much more you can handle" Bryssling said as he continued fighting hand to hand with Grimmjow.

The Espada, in spite of his spride, had learned quite a bit from Yoruichi's lessons, so he started gaining the upper hand quite quickly.

After Bryssling recieved a spinning kick in the stomach, he decided it was time to start using his Zanpakutou.

He directed his whip towards Grimmjow with ease, as if it was an extension of his body.

Every whiplash was enough to shake the sand it hit as the Espada evaded the attacks.

"One of those would be no joke..." He praised.

"And we've only just began..." Bryssling chuckled. "Discipline, _Castig__ador_"

The white whip on his hand started extending through all his body, turning his legs and arms into tentacles, and greatly increasing his size, although the rest of his body slowly turned into an amorphous white mass that seemed to reshape into a combination of man and squid.

By the end of the transformation, the cephalopod humanoid being extended his tentacles as he opened a single eye that had a scar across it, as if his two eyes had been combined in a pale white face without any other features aside from the ciclop eye and a mouth with sharp teeth.

"Now you remind me of another Espada we used to have" Grimmjow said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, his _Resurrección_ also gave him a large body with tentacles, but you look a lot more humanoid in comparison"

"Well, you didn't use much power, so my form didn't change so drastically"

"What do you mean?" He asked curious.

"My aspect of death is _Oppression_. Because of that, the more in a pinch I am, either physically or psychologically, the more my body changes and grows" Bryssling explained.

"I see... Want me to clean the floor with you so that you can show your true power?"

"Why not? Go ahead and try!"

"Tch, tch, tch..." Grimmjow grinned. "Careful what you wish... Grind, _**Pantera**!"_

Bryssling ended up being easily defeated by the Espada in his _Resurrección_, but given the fact that Grimmjow had eaten more Hollows since being defeated by Ichigo and, even more important, trained thoroughly in the Dangai, it was to be expected.

"Not bad... But you're gonna have to train a lot more if you wanna stand a chance against the Oni" He concluded, still transformed. "Who's next?"

"*yawn* Sure... Why not get this over with..." Lilynette said tired.

"As there are still more people on the list, just go straight into _Resurrección_"

"Fine" She got her curvy Zanpakutou out of her missing horn. "I've never tried to go into _Resurrección_, actually. Can I even...?" She wondered, remembering the command. "Kick about... _Los Lobos_"

Blue Reiatsu bursted out of her as a white jacket with grey fur dressed her neatly, and a black patch appeared on her left eye. She looked just Starrk, but of course, her female body made the suit a little more risqué around the bust. Lilynette didn't seem to care though.

She looked at the two pistols that were in her hands, remembering how she used to become them and fight along Starrk.

"Starrk..." She sighed sadly, still looking back on those memories with melancholy.

"I was wondering when were you gonna use _Resurrección_" The weapon spoke.

She widened her eyes in shock as she looked at the guns.

"St... Starrk? Is that...? Is it that really you?!" Her eyes became watery.

"Is that...?" Grimmjow noticed.

"Well, who else would it be? I had been waiting all this time so that we could talk a bit. I even tried to speak inside your head and appear in your dreams, but something prevented me from entering the rest of your mind"

"Starrk...!" She sobbed, happiness overflowing her being. "You never left me..."

"Of course not, Lilynette. We are always together, don't you ever forget that. When I embedded your body with my Reiryoku, I guess a part of my Soul was also stored inside your body. I don't think we can split into two Arrancar once again, but hey, at least we are able to talk"

"I'm so glad..." She smiled as tears crashed around her. "This means... Now I'm as strong as you were?"

"I don't think so. You still have to get used to using that power, and I didn't give you _all_ my Reiryoku either so, you should try to train and power up at least a bit, though I know it's a drag"

"Okay..." She accepted stoic.

"But, that doesn't mean that we'll just let this battle pass. Do your best, Lilynette, I'm here for you"

"Starrk..." Her light pink eye shined as she heard that.

"Let's do it"

"Yeah!" She seemed to cheer up and overflow with power.

"Now this seems interesting..." Grimmjow got all fired up.

_"Cero Metralleta!" _The two Ex-Primera Espada said in unison, blasting a barrage of blue and green _Ceros_ at the new Cuarta.

After an emotionally charged as well as a thrilling fight ended, everyone contemplated the exhausted Lilynette, who had given her all and more, all thanks to her reunion with her lost half.

"Woah, _that_ was a real fight" Grimmjow complimented as the girl panted on the sand floor, a smile painted on her face. "Now then, who wants to keep this party goin'?"

"I'll go" Ashido said, walking into the area.

"Aum, I'll go last" Satya replied indifferent.

"Satya, please help Lilynette get out of there" Gin ordered him.

"Aum" He walked into the arena and picked her up bridal style with no further trouble.

"Satya-kun is so cute!" Orihime said cheerfully.

"At the very least, he doesn't seem troubled to help" Ichigo pointed out.

However, Gin laughed internally, as he perfectly knew what such an action could be doing inside the odd adolescent's head.

Satya seemed to be perfectly normal on the outside, but his head was being sieged by a thousand thoughts as he carried Lilynette.

His eyes suddenly seemed to be spirals and his flesh started to sweat coldly, drawing an unstable grin upon his face.

As naturally as he could, he left Lilynette on the sand and walked away from the rest.

"I thought... It didn't matter... Then why...?" He blushed as he thought. "Why does it feel so weird to touch a girl?!" His mind blew. "Her breathing... Her scent... That smooth skin... How can a being be so different and yet so... Thrilling?" He wondered by himself.

"Thanks, kid. Now, let's get down to business" Grimmjow chuckled.

"Alright" Ashido was ready. "Decapitate, _Cuernavaca_"

With his head covered by that cow's skull, Ashido threw away his Arrancar jacket and charged towards Grimmjow.

"Now then, entertain me" The Espada grinned as he wondered what Ashido's abilities were like.

As soon as he became close to the previous Hollow Hunter, he was enthrilled to see a sharp bone coming out of his skin, attacking him, followed by a scratch of sharp nails that grew longer for an instant.

"I see... This guy can control the growth of all the bones in his body. In all my years as a Hollow, I've never seen something like that" Grimmjow thought, evading the spines that came after him. "Amazing"

Ashido had honed his skills a lot in the days that came after the awakening of his sword, learning how to use his most basic ability as well as some others he was still discovering.

Grimmjow was able to see this too, and while he knew that there was still a long way, it was undeniable that he had potential.

Once Ashido was kneeling on one knee, Grimmjow concluded the match.

"Heheh... You all are truly amazing in different ways" The Espada panted. "While I may not be in my strongest form, you've managed to make me sweat. Congratulations"

"And you still have two more left" Ichigo reminded him.

"Aum... It's my turn" Satya replied, now back in his normal state of mind.

"I've been eager to see what you have, kid. Don't disappoint me" Grimmjow's eyes shined as he braced for the semifinal encounter.

Satya pointed the large claymore at him. While he was about 1,64 meters tall, the blade was at least 2 meters and a half. It seemed impossible for him to use such a weapon with that physique, but that was the way things were.

He closed his eyes and inhaled all the air his lungs could contain. Then, he exhaled with the magic word thay gave him focus:

"AUM"

Once the air was all out, his golden eyes were opened again, and he attacked Grimmjow in his base state.

"Damn, I didn't expect you to attack me without entering your _Resurrección_" Grimmjow praised as he evaded the giant blade. "However, I'll make you regret this decision!"

Satya felt Grimmjow was going seriously at him, so he kept his senses as sharp as he could.

Slash after slash of the panther, he would either block or dodge. There was nothing else in his mind at the moment. For Satya there was nothing better than fighting, as both his body and his mind could focus on that single activity, finally stopping the endless noise that was constantly invading him.

Numbers he didn't comprehend, places he had never seen, objects he couldn't understand, incongruent patterns that made no sense whatsoever... It was an unbearable suffering to withstand all that a whole life.

However, there was someone who taught him how to distract himself without the need to fight. Someone who was able to reach him despite the fact that he was detached from the real world most of the time.

He chose to follow that man, and now, he was surrounded by more people that were willing to accept him.

He wouldn't fail. He couldn't.

He simply had to prove to himself that he was able to come out of that glass prison. Shatter that fortress that held him and be able to lend a hand to those that were helping him.

But despite that thought, there was still something he couldn't overcome: his aspect of death.

It wasn't because of a personal reason, or because it made him feel ashamed. It was because, it was horribly dangerous.

No one before had survived against it. If he entered _Resurrección_, it would be the end, or so he believed. Ichimaru was the first person to withstand the effect of his aspect, and proved him that a strong will to live is all you need to surpass said ability. Even so, he knew that not everyone was like him, reason that sinked him in doubt as he thought about releasing his blade.

A kick from Grimmjow sent him flying away as he tried to block it with the sword.

"C'mon, kid. You're pretty good, but you're going nowhere if you don't use your whole potential"

Satya stood up with difficulty, his blade shaking. Not because of the impact, no... But due to the thought of using his _Resurrección_.

"If I kill him, they will hate me" He thought. "Or worse... They will hate Ichimaru-dono"

His mind started getting out of focus, a dark haze covering his senses once again.

"No... Not now! I... I... I have to fight... I have to..." Satya forcefully cleared his head.

"Disperse... _Escalofrío"_

An aura of deep purple Reiatsu exploded from his body, making the sand around them rage.

"That's more like it..." Grimmjow seemed content.

And the moment after the sand covered their sight, Satya's figure slowly appeared, like a mirage.

His body seemed to be covered by a buddhist tunic, and instead of a Claymore, he was holding a long _Shakujo_ that had a Katana-like blade on the other side, and a _Gunbai_ on his back. Also, he had become taller, his lilac hair grew longer and his face showed more mature features, as if he had turned into an adult.

"I hate this..." Satya muttered with a deeper voice, one of a young adult.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Grimmjow asked intrigued.

"My mind is clear. Yet... That's the reason I'm mostly afraid" He replied seriously. "Grimmjow, don't take this as an offense, but you might die if you fight me"

"Ho? Now this is getting interesting. Are you really _that_ strong?"

"It's not a matter of strength or raw power" He replied. "That's the problem"

"You become quite the somber type now, don't you? What happened with the kid that said 'aum' at the beginning of every sentence?" He chuckled.

"Grimmjow, he's being serious" Nel warned him.

"I know how you feel, but don't be reckless" Harribel added, knowing him better than anyone.

"Okay, okay... I'll be careful" He replied to the ladies. "But you don't have to worry, man. If you end up killing me, it will be my fault for being weak, alrite? You just give me everything you got"

"*sigh* You're just like Bryssling" Satya closed his eyes disappointed. "Please, forgive me"

He attacked Grimmjow with his blade, shaking the rings of the Shakujo piece.

"He's fast!" The Espada thought, dodging a cut in the last possible moment.

And then, like a shadow, Satya appeared on his back and swinged the hybrid weapon at Grimmjow, who got a superficial slash on his chest.

"Kgh... You got me a bit"

"No... It's over. Now it's up to you" Satya coldly said. "_Velo de Maya"_

Grimmjow felt as if the whole world suddenly melted, turning into a pitch black sludge that covered it all.

It wasn't hot or cold. It didn't feel pleasant or terrible. It didn't harm him in any possible way and yet... He felt a despair that was greater than anything he'd ever sensed before.

His five senses were numbed for a second, only to return in the form of a nightmare.

With his eyes, all he could see was a barrage of ways in which Harribel died, blinding him.

With his nose, all he could smell was her blood, slowly turning into anosmia.

With his mouth, all he could taste was that same ruby fluid, which he had tried before out of mere curiosity, and now appeared to erase all sense of flavour.

With his ears, all he could hear was the sound of endless screams of agony, deafening him.

With his body, all he could feel was the weight of his sins crawling over him, menacing to take what was most precious, leaving him in a state in which the rest of the world was intangible.

All these feelings combined fed a single emotion inside his heart, until a point in which even living seemed more unbearable than the worst torture he could have imagined.

His whole being couldn't contain the black dense liquid that had started running out of his mouth, eyes, ears and nostrils.

Everything was black.

Everything was awful.

Everything was...

_Fear..._

Grimmjow trembled, sweating bullets as his eyes lost all life and his hands started searching for his neck.

"Grimmjow...?" Harribel looked worried.

"Satya, what did you do?" Ichigo asked.

"That's how my powers work. In my _Resurrección_, every cut I deal with this sword immerses the enemy in a very powerful illusion. Said illusion increases the feeling of fear to a point in which the person does not wish to live anymore, actually, they yearn for death" He explained. "I tried to warn him, for real, but he was forcing me to use this..."

"I know, Satya, but you should've told us about this earlier" Ichigo refuted.

"I know... But, I thought you would set me aside if I said so, or well, my more immature self did. The Satya you know has a completely different thought process, filled with distractions and other obstacles that prevent him from thinking clearly or making the best choices. I, on the other hand, can see this world as it is and choose better options"

"So you are like... A different personality?" Orihime asked.

"No. I'm just the result of Satya maturing and leaving his psychological distress out. I am the same person you met, just better at thinking, relating to others and... Well, basically everything"

"Is there something we can do?" Harribel asked.

"I doubt it. My illusions work like a sealed dimension. I've tried to stop Hollows from killing themselves in the past... To no avail" He bitterly admited. "Our best bet is that his mind and heart are strong enough to break the illusion... But that... That doesn't seem to be the case so far"

Grimmjow had started grabbing his neck, slowly but strongly. If he continued, he would either asphixiate or destroy his own throat.

Harribel couldn't take it anymore, and she interfered. "Hunt, **_Tiburón_**!"

"Grimmjow!" She shouted as she tried to remove his hand from his throat.

"I... I'm sorry" Satya shamefully apologized.

"No. It's too soon to apologize" Gin said. "Satya, can you remember what I told you back then?"

"My power is my own. I control it"

"Exactly. So, you should be able to break the illusion"

"I know but... It's not so simple"

"But you _will_ have to learn" Ichigo declared. "Don't worry. Grimmjow is not so weak, he might just need a bit of time. However, you must find a way to make that power your own, but for real"

"I... I understand, Kurosaki-dono"

"Grimmjow...! I know you can do it so... Come back!" Harribel screamed, as her eyes became teary. "Come back... To me..."

Inside Grimmjow's illusion, he suddenly felt as his senses returned. He was still suffering the failure cast upon them, but thinking it through, it was simply impossible to believe that was all real.

He hadn't witnessed anything like that, not even in his dreams. The closest thing was probably when he took her after she had been defeated by Ulquiorra.

"This is bullshit" He said. "The kid was not lying though... This is pretty fucked up. I really thought I was better off dead" He chuckled. "But enough is enough. If the situation is like I'm guessing, Tier must be at the border of tears" He unintentionally saud a pun.

Back in the real world, Grimmjow's lightblue eyes regained their color, and with it, his perception was back to normal.

"Woah, everything feels so strange..." He muttered.

"Grimmjow!" Tier hugged him.

"Looks like I guessed right" He thought with a grin. "Yeah, I'm back. Sorry for making you worry"

"Well, I wasn't really...!" She started saying as everyone directed special looks towards her, especially her Fracciones, who had jaw-dropped, so she let go of him, blushing.

Most chuckled, as they already suspected such thing, but for the Tres Bestias it was a different story.

"Please tell me it's not true!" Apacci protested.

"It has to be a mistake... Yeah, it must be a mistake..." Mila Rose trued to convince herself.

"Just... Why?" Sung-Sun asked rhetorically.

"They went through a lot together..." Nel explained the girls. "And believe it or not, Grimmjow is actually a good guy, deep inside. He just loves to act tough, but Harribel knows his other side better than anyone"

"But Nel-sama, he's-" Apacci tried to complain.

"He's the man that Harri loves, Apacci" Nel interrupted. "And if you three truly love her, you should support her"

"Tch..." Mila rose bit her lip. Nel was right.

"Nel-sama has a point. I mean... We wouldn't be happy if she was against... You know... Our feelings for-" Sung-Sun accepted.

"But Ashido-kun is different! He's polite, cool and... I don't know, he's simply, the complete opposite of that beast!" Apacci refuted.

"Well you might think so, but you are not her to understand those feelings. In fact, I think she doesn't get them perfectly either" Nel replied. "All you should care about is that face of relief she has right now" She looked at her friend.

Harribel was still next to the panther Espada, smiling under her mask.

"Tier, I'm glad you care, but... This is not over yet" Grimmjow whispered.

"Oh... Right. Sorry" She left his side.

Harribel seemed a lot calmer as she returned with the rest of the group.

Grimmjow on his part, approached Satya and punched him in the face with great strength, blasting him away and knocking him out immediately.

"Grimmjow!" Orihime and Lilynette protested.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I didn't hit him because of what he did. I punched him because we were still fighting. Against an empty Demon, his ability might be practically useless, so he has to become a lot stronger" He explained, glancing at Gin. "Well, that only leaves Aizen's right hand..."

"It's enough, Grimmjow" Ichigo said. "I know what rank I'll give each"

"But Ichimaru-sama hasn't fought" Bryssling complained.

"There's no need for that" Ichigo replied. "He won't be a formal Espada. I'll just ask him his help while he's here. But I know, you are not planning on staying an Arrancar forever, are you, Ichimaru?"

"Hm... I'm not sure" Gin tilted his head. "What gave you that idea though?"

"Nothing much. Just a little hunch I got" He lied, as Nel had told him about their conversation.

"I see... Okay, then, what are the ranks?"

Espada *9: Ichimaru Gin.

Aspect of death: Deception.

Zanpakutou: Unknown.

Tattoo: None, as it is a provisional position.

Espada 8: Bryssling Bildungsroman.

Aspect of death: Oppression.

Zanpakutou: _Castigador_.

Tattoo: Right bicep.

Espada 7: Kanou Ashido.

Aspect of death: Guilt.

Zanpakutou: _Cuernavaca_.

Tattoo: Upper back.

Espada 6: Satya Żytecki

Aspect of death: Fear.

Zanpakutou: _Escalofrío_.

Tattoo: Left cheek.

Espada 5: Lilynette Gingerbuck.

Aspect of death: Solitude.

Zanpakutou: _Los Lobos_.

Tattoo: Back of right hand.

Espada 4: Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.

Aspect of death: Destruction.

Zanpakutou: _Pantera_.

Tattoo: Lower right back. Healed the previous 6 and carved again as 4.

Espada 3: Tier Harribel.

Aspect of death: Sacrifice.

Zanpakutou: _Tiburón._

Tattoo: Left side of right breast, like always.

Espada 2: Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck.

Aspect of death: Betrayal.

Zanpakutou: _Gamuza_.

Tattoo: Mid back. Healed the 3 and carved again as 2, despite Ichigo's unwillingness to her getting hurt.

Espada 1: Ulquiorra Cifer.

Aspect of death: Emptiness.

Zanpakutou: _Murciélago_.

Tattoo: Left pectoral. Erased the 4 until a 1 remained.

Espada 0: Kurosaki Ichigo.

Aspect of death: Life.

Zanpakutou: _Las Noches_

Tattoo: Mid back. Just like Nel's.

Thus, the new Espada are structured and ready to protect Las Noches and its inhabitants.

Gin and his two underlings now lived in the palace, each having a room for himself, as they were all Espada. The rest of the Legion of the Serpent were still being taught the basics in order to live in Las Noches.

With the 9 Espada under his command, Ichigo has fulfilled his first objective, but it's not nearly enough for him to feel at ease.

Everyone had gotten into extensive training, to both improve and control their powers to a greatwr extent, starting with Ichigo and his Hollow absorption, as well as the possibility of Hollowfying other souls.

He also struggles to read the next movement of the enemy. The Oni are up to something and he knows it. Because of that, he'll make sure that the new Espada are strong enough to protect Las Noches from any menace, but he still felt that the uncertainty produced by this situation was tough to bear.

Ichigo laid on his bed, really tired after the last couple days, so he decided to get some sleep.

"Good night, Ichi" Nel kissed him as she bent over him.

Ichigo hugged her warmly in reply, placing his hand on her back.

"Are you sure it doesn't hurt?" He asked, worried about her new tattoo.

"Yeah, don't worry. Or does yours?" She passed her skinny fingers through the round mark in his back.

"No, it healed right after"

"You still forget we're Arrancar sometimes, don't you?"

"I mean... I tend to forget about my own capabilities. But the way in which I feel you every day, is something I would never forget" He replied, gazing straight into her eyes.

"Is that so?" She entangled one of her horns with his. "I love you, my King"

Ichigo wrapped his tongue around hers in a wet kiss as he fondled her soft bottom and caressed her back.

The two panted as the string of saliva slowly disappeared after their kiss.

"And I love _you_, my Queen"

Nel giggled mischievously as she braced for another wild night, one meant to reward Ichigo for all his hard work.

"Don't worry Ichi... This pain doesn't count as hurting me, in case you're worried about your promise" She clarified. "And... Neither does the one you give me in bed" She whispered. "That's the greatest pleasure you can give me" She giggled, biting her lip.

"You're crazy, Nel... But I love you" Ichigo chuckled, ravaging her. "I fucking love you"

~~~~X~~~~

**Sorry for the wait, but this one was a little slower in general. Still, it was needed in order to get to the next step, so I hope everything is clear up to this point.**

**Also, with a lot of effort and a tad of luck, I passed all my subjects this year and now is vacation time! I'll do my best to bring new chapters ASAP. I also get xtra motivation with reviews, just sayin'.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The legendary Zoroark: _Whoo! Great chapter! Loved this. Ya did good on this. I'm SO happy that my worries for nothing! It was also interesting as well to see Nel and Gin share bits of their pasts with one another. Speaking of Gin, I KNEW HE WAS ALIVE WHEN YOU MENTIONED IT LAST CHAPTER! YOSH! I hope he'll see Rangiku later on... I think both of them deserve a happy life together don't you?_****_But I digress. Keep up the good work! I'm looking forward to the next chapter!_**

**Reply: Of course, I wouldn't let Gin die just like that. After everything he did, he deserved a happy ending, so I'm working on that. As expected, I have a good explanation for his return, so don't think for one second that I'm somehow reviving everyone out of some feeling of nostalgia. Everything I do is with a reason and to fit Bleach's lore and parameters as well as possible.**

**'Til next Chapter! Evhron out.**

**PD: No Christmas or New Year special in honour of time and so that you all could get the chapter as soon as possible. They are all cliché anyway, lol. I wish you all late merry Xmas and, in advance, a happy new year!**

**Glossary:**

**_Castigador__: _Punisher.**

**_Escalofrío: _****Shiver.**

**_Velo de Maya: _Veil of Maya. Satya's intrinsic ability. Also, a song by Cynic that inspired the band, Veil Of Maya, with the name. **


	28. Shadow

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes, noticing that he was alone in bed.

"Nel left already... I must've overslept" He thought to himself, yawning. "Last night was crazy..." He smiled, remembering the great time she had given him.

"I agree..." Mugetsu said inside his head. "That was one hell of a night. Yukari was just as wild..." He chuckled. "Although I'm surprised that neither of you seem worried about getting a blessing at this rate..."

"Eh?" Ichigo winked multiple times, astonished. "W-What do you mean?" He entered his subconscious to speak face to face.

"Oh, I guess you thought Hollows couldn't have kids, am I right?" He grinned. "Well, that would be true if we were talking about normal ones, but you are Wholes, Ichigo"

"Are you telling me that it's possible that I-I... Become a father?!"

"Yep, that's correct!"

"B-But then... Is Nel?!"

"Ahahaha! Hold on for a sec... Just let me appreciate that face of yours" Mugetsu laughed. "Oh, man, I can't get enough of it. Hey, Zangetsu, you don't have a mirror or somethin'? Pfftt... Ahahahaha!"

Tensa Zangetsu sighed while rolling his eyes and shook his head.

"C'mon Mugetsu, it's not funny, this is some serious stuff! Like, for real!" Ichigo had enough.

"Oh... Sorry, sorry" His stomach was hurting from laughing so much. "Now, breathe in, breathe out and relax. Even if you are Wholes, you are Hollows before anything else, so as long as battle is in your mind, you don't have to worry about getting a kid"

"Really?!" He seemed alleviated. "Phew... Man, you freaked me out for a second there"

"Yeah, I knew that would happen, and it's normal. After all, you're the only Wholes to exist after our era, so it's not surprising that no one else knows about it"

"Does Nageki know? Cause he didn't mention it"

"He knows" Mugetsu replied. "But he probably didn't want to mention it..." His expression seemed a bit somber.

"Why?" He insisted, oblivious.

"Because that would've led to a more delicate matter" Mugetsu explained with a sigh. "You see... Yukari was really strong. Mere Demons wouldn't have been nearly able to kill her but... She wasn't in her best shape"

Ichigo felt a deep sadness filling him as he realized what his spirit was getting into.

"You mean... Yukari was..."

"Yeah" Mugetsu nodded. "She was pregnant when she was killed"

"But that is just...!" He felt a fierce rage.

"That is just low. Even for Angels and Demons" Mugetsu said stoic, but with a sorrowful semblance.

"So that day... Not only did you lose your wife... But your child as well"

Mugetsu simply nodded as he stared at the sand below.

"Man, I..." Ichigo put his hand on his spirit's shoulder. "I know I can't get your old life back... And even killing everyone that participated in that massacre won't make things better"

"True..."

"But I swear. I swear I'm gonna find the one responsible for all this and make him pay!" Ichigo's eyes shined defiantly. "I don't usually take revenge... But I'm far from perfect. I would lie if I said that I don't want to annihilate whoever is behind those deaths. Even if it's an empty vengeance, I want to do it. I can't leave things be after knowing this... It would be simply... Unforgivable"

"Well..." Mugetsu started saying. "I wouldn't be honest with myself if I told you not to do it. However..." He clarified. "Don't waste away your own life in favor of vengeance. If you have the chance, go ahead, but don't leave your own happiness behind to chase a void sense of accomplishment" He explained. "The greatest achievement you could wish for, is already here. Sleeping with you every night, reminding you that you're not alone and doing her best to see you happy"

Ichigo felt a calming warmth inside as he realized what he was talking about.

"Yeah, you're right" He smiled. "We've both said so a couple times. Neither of us could be any happier, and that's okay. What else could I ask for?"

"Although... I wouldn't say there's really a peak to happiness" Mugetsu refuted. "You two have yet to know what being a parent means..."

"True... But I can't nearly imagine that at this moment, and I think it's better that way, at least for now" Ichigo replied. "Also, how does pregnancy work for...?"

"Oh, that's pretty much just like humans" Mugetsu chuckled. "You know, her belly grows, when she's hungry only her current whim is able to quench her, sometimes she'll want to puke, but it's normal etc, etc. Oh! And her jugs will become EVEN bigger and filled with sweet-"

"Alright, I think I get the idea!" Ichigo interrupted him, his face boiling red. "Thanks... For telling me about this. Now I know that I can't be so careless after this is all over"

"Yep. Once the war ends, if you keep going at it at your current pace, the miracle will happen before you even realize it, so if I were you, I would also tell hat and clogs to design a pill or something. That way you'll still have fun without having to worry about that"

"Good idea, though Urahara will probably laugh at first..." Ichigo imagined with bother.

"A small price to pay, Kingy, nothing's truly free in this world" Mugetsu raised his shoulders.

"That's true..." He agreed. "Well, I should go do my duty. Nel is doing a great job as a Queen so far, but I can't leave all the work to her. What kind of King would I be?"

"Well said. Good luck, Ichigo, you're on the right path" Mugetsu bid him farewell.

"Thank you, Mugetsu. See ya" Ichigo returned.

After getting up, he went straight to the red towers, to meet Nageki. The sempiternal Arrancar was supposed to have finished a safe box for Ichigo to leave the Heart of Tsukoyomi so that it wouldn't be in any kind of danger.

He casually entered the lab and called his name.

"Nageki!"

The grey haired yet young-looking Arrancar came down the spiral staircase.

"Ichigo! Good to see you here. The safe is ready"

"Good. To tell the truth, I was used to wearing it, but it's still a bit complicated for training"

"I thought so, but with this invention, that will be no more" Nageki displayed a small black box.

"Is that it?"

"Yes. Big enough to store it inside, yet small enough to not be a waste of space"

"How does it work?" Ichigo asked.

"You store the Heart inside and then close it. When that happens, the box will be completely sealed, and it's made of an unbreakable material, in theory"

"Then... How am I supposed to get it when I need it?"

"Simple. You place your hand and release Reiatsu. It may sound simple, but believe me, the amount needed is ridiculous. It won't be a problem for you though, and don't worry about losing power, cause it all goes inside the Heart"

"Oh, so I would be able to get my Reiatsu back without further problem"

"Precisely. Pretty neat, huh?"

"Yeah... Amazing actually. Thank you very much, Nageki"

"I'm just doing my job, and in the process, enjoying myself by surpassing my own limits. I gotta say, designing this was a real challenge"

"Really? Well, if it kept you entertained, I guess you don't mind making the effort"

"Exactly, so don't feel like you're being too hard on me or anything"

"That's great. I wouldn't feel well otherwise" Ichigo sighed in relief. "I'll be going then. Is there anything you need?"

"No, not really. The Espada don't train here anymore, so my lab is safe. Thank you for your concern" Nageki concluded.

"It's the least I can do" Ichigo walked out of the lab with the black box in his hand.

Nageki went back to checking other miscelaneous experiments.

"Ichigo and Nelliel seem to be doing well. I heard they're rebuilding the aqueduct, so this place will look a lot livelier in some time" He said to himself, as he was used to talking alone. "Nelliel finally revealed the truth to Ichigo, although it was not in the best way... But everything's fine in the end. I guess I don't have to worry about anything, though it still bothers me..." He digressed, remembering a decision he had made in the past. "Back then... Did I do the right thing? There doesn't seem to be any sign of mistake, but even so... I don't feel at ease. I hope it's just my imagination, for their sake and this world's" He thought about Ichigo and Nel.

~~~~X~~~~

Buried deep within the core of the deepest circle of Hell, Yama summoned his three Princes, as well as the Four Horsemen.

It was a room made out of pure flesh and dead bodies, which fed something far more terrifying.

A grose gigantic sphere of white humanoid bodies floated in the center of the chamber, emanating an evil aura so dense that it could be seen.

"The time has come. As you can see, V has started gestating a godly being inside. Neberu, was made with pieces of my own soul and half of my hearts, and is meant to feed upon negative energy and Reiryoku. As you can see, I designed a Demon with a potential even greater than my own!"

"Pardon myself, Yama-sama..." Kurokage interrupted politely. "Wasn't it far from being completed?"

"That was true" Yama replied. "However, an Ex-Espada seems to have given V the last amount it needed to start its development..." Yama showed a vision of Yammy with his sceptre. "Believe it or not, this lowly being was a vessel of tremendous amounts of both Reiryoku and negative energy"

"I see..." Kurokage beheld his master.

"Then, Yama-sama" One of the Horsemen asked. "How shall we proceed? Hueco Mundo doesn't seem to be so defenseless anymore. Not since Kurosaki Ichigo has awakened the power of Tsukoyomi"

Yama seemed to frown a little at the mention of that.

"Exactly. That means, the Heart is completely out of reach for as long as he is in Hueco Mundo. So I thought... Why don't we invite him to our warm and cozy domain?" He giggled.

All the Demons present laughed with joy at that realization.

"Kurokage. Would you mind delivering the invitation? I believe you won't be able to enter Las Noches directly, but that souldn't be a problem, right?" Yama asked his subordinate.

"Of course not, Yama-sama. I'll make sure that they get the message" Kurokage replied.

"Once they are here, I'll give you all further instructions. For now, all Princes, go back to your temples. Four Horsemen, stay for a bit longer. I have a special mission for you"

~~~~X~~~~

Nelliel had finished her main duties and was now outside the walls, training with Harribel to learn to control her Segunda Etapa to a greater extent.

"Cascada Hirviendo!" Harribel attacked with a combination of two previous attacks.

Nelliel dodged the gigantic amount of boiling water and slashed her pink lance at Harribel.

"Campeador" She relentlessly stabbed the air around Harribel, who did not foresee the attack.

Harribel fell to the floor in cold sweat. Such an attack would've easily killed her in a normal fight.

"*pant* *pant* Sorry, Nel-sama. It seems... That I will have to train a whole lot more... In order to give you a real fight" She bitterly admitted.

"Don't say that, Harri. You've helped me a lot!" She smiled at her and helped her get up. "I've been able to get a lot more used to this power, as well as learn new abilities. You're working really hard, so there's no need for you to train endlessly in order to give me a hand"

"But... I'm not even close to being a match for you" She frowned.

"Well, that is because I've been making an extra effort myself" She confessed. "The only way I can stand by Ichigo's side, is by surpassing my own limits. Otherwise, I'll just drag him down..."

"I see. You have the toughest job out of all"

"Maybe, but that's something I chose myself" Nel concluded. "Changing the topic... Have you talked with your Fracciones about Grimmjow?" She asked as she returned to her base form.

"About that..." Harribel looked away as she did the same. "Well, I've told them what I think of him before. Actually, when you came back, I had a little discussion with them cause I had decided to make him my right hand, to which they completely opposed"

"No, but not in a professional way. Have you never tried to explain how you feel to them? Cause I believe that would be a lot better" She started walking back to Las Noches, so Harribel came along.

"I... I don't think I have" She admitted. "They're not easy to deal with, you know? And not even I... Know how to express myself well regarding that topic. I haven't even talked with Grimmjow about it"

"Well, that's where you're gonna have to make an effort, if you ask me" Nel replied. "I know it must be hard considering the time we've spent concealing our true emotions, but you will never be truly happy unless you're completely true to yourself"

"I understand, Nel-sama. I'll do my best"

"Good" She smiled. "I heard that it's also important to be true to those around you, which leads me to a topic I wanted to discuss with you, now that I believe that our friendship has grown a lot"

"What is it?"

"My deepest secret, even deeper than my aspect of death" Nel shivered a bit. "I want to tell you... Of my past"

Nel told her everything regarding the Blood Forest and Scar Queen, as well as her true relation to Nageki. Basically, a recollection of both the long past and the events that had occurred about a week ago by now.

Once she finished, Harribel looked particularly astonished.

"Wow... Nel-sama... I would've never thought..."

"But that's the truth. And if you come to hate me for it, I'll accept it" She sadly smiled. "Don't feel bad for what I'm about to say, but the truth is... I don't care about anything else as long as I have Ichigo. I feel like... Even if the whole world turned its back on me, I would still be able to keep going because of him"

"Nel-sama...!" She muttered in shock. "There's no need for you to think that way. I... I promise I will always be your friend!"

"Really?" She asked back, surprised.

"Of course. Who cares about what you did in the past? You are my predecessor, my master and my best friend. Nel-sama... I know who you are today, and that's all that matters"

"Hearing that makes me so happy..." She hugged her friend. "Ichigo said something similar, now that I think about it. However, I didn't expect more people to be so understanding"

"I can't speak for anyone else, but at least to me, it's the only possible answer I can give you" She let go of the hug, a bit embarrassed, but happy. "Needless to say, I won't tell anyone else"

"Thank you. I hope that I can tell everyone one day, but I'm still facing my own past" She replied, determined to fight her Demons.

"You are so strong, Nel-sama..." Harribel told her what she thought. "I know... You will overcome that and anything else that comes in your way. And if you ever need it... I, and everyone else will be there to help you"

"Thank you, Harri. I will always be there for you as well"

~~~~X~~~~

Ulquiorra was watching over the palace in his Primera Etapa, so that his pressure wouldn't affect the Arrancar in his radius.

"Everything seems calm lately" He thought. "Said feeling is what makes me the most worried. I know that Yama wasn't even fazed with my betrayal... In fact, he probably knew it would happen from the very moment he brought me back to life... Then why?" He contorted his mind, trying to find a possible explanation.

Images of the two men that had duled over him in the past flashed into his head.

"I can't say that I haven't been impressed by my previous leaders. Aizen was a genius, I can't deny that. I believe that I would still admire him if it wasn't for the fact that I saw how he crumbled during his defeat" He remembered the vision Yama had shown him. "Also... How he discarded the power of the Espada without ever seeing beyond. That was a huge disappointment" He closed his eyes. "But aside from that, everything in Aizen seemed to emanate perfection. The way in which he foresaw and planned events in the far future is worthy of praise to say the least. And now..." He remembered the Demon King. "That's the same idea I got from Yama. Everything up to this point could've been part of his plan, and that idea is simply terrifying"

As soon as he thought of that, his eyes got widened as he felt an unpleasant presence in the distance.

"Ichigo said that Nageki protected us from a Demon appearing inside Las Noches. That means..." He flew up, to habe a better view.

A kimon had been opened in the desert.

"...Any attack will come from outside"

He flew directly at he infernal gate, immediately changing into Etapa Final.

As he grabbed Chauve-Souris in an instant, he decided to attack first.

"_Revolución del Relámpago_"

The myriad of _Lanza del Relámpago_ were exploding and crashing at the gate. Ulquiorra could hear the howls of Oni from the other side, guessing that he had stopped the invasion.

The Oni stopped coming out of the gate without further trouble, but it did not dissapear, giving him a feeling of unfinished business.

"Was that all?" He muttered to himself. "Then why is it still open? I have to inform this" He flew back to the palace.

"You've gotten naïve... Ulquiorra" A shadow chuckled.

It was hiding its presence and Reiatsu perfectly. After all, Kurokage's special ability was absolute control over the shadows.

As expected, he could turn into a shadow himself. A shadow with no measurable power or, any noticeable characteristic. His only limitation was his movement, which depended on other beings, but as Ulquiorra flew back, his shadow carried the unwanted visitor and placed him in the shadow of the palace itself.

A guardian Arrancar in one of the main gates yawned as his turn came to a close.

"Nothing interesting ever happens around here... Well, it may be better this way" He left his post as another Arrancar took over.

He walked to one of the villages inside Las Noches, where he had a house. Inside the walls, Arrancar had started leaving casually and peacefully.

However, said lifestyle also made it easier for Kurokage to get what he wanted.

"Interesting... I wonder what would the King do if I decided to wipe these out" He grinned from the guard's shadow.

The guard felt an indescribable fear as he felt his own shadow detaching from his body.

"What the-?"

"See you in Hell" Kurokage said as he cut the guard in half with his Onibuki, a dark long thin blade.

The guard could not produce a sound as his body separated into two, faster than he could realize his life was over.

Kurokage raised his Reiatsu on purpose, making sure that the whole palace would notice him.

Ichigo immediately felt his power and rushed with Velocidad towards the certain point.

The other Espada on the area felt it as well, but took longer to arrive.

When Ichigo got to the place, approximately a minute after he sensed Kurokage's pressure, the sight filled his heart with rage.

"Oh, the King of Hueco Mundo I presume" Kurokage mockingly said, walking amongst the corpses of the village. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this but... It seems this village got tired of your reign and decided to take their own lives"

The corpses of the whole village had their throats destroyed by theur own hands.

"Who. The Fuck. Are you. DEMON?!" Ichigo said as he attacked him.

Kurokage was forced to recoil despite blocking Ichigo's Zanpakutou.

"Fufu... I'm just a messenger. My Lord, Yama-sama, wanted to invite you to his court, deep in the lowest level of Jigoku"

"So that's what this was all about. Tell him I'm coming right away, and that he prepares to suffer a horrible death, cause this will not be forgiven!"

Ulquiorra areived at the place as well.

"Kurokage! You bastard!" He shot a white and green Cero at him.

"Oh really? And what would that make a traitor like you? After everything Yama-sama did for you... This is how you repay him?!" Kurokage cut the beam in two with his blade.

"I never asked to be brought back to life"

"Well you should know that the amount of tortured Hollow souls needed for said task was of 4 billion. Yeah, that sounds big, right? Cause it is! Those souls were meant to increase his and our power, and yet he decided to give YOU a chance instead! What a disgraceful being you are..."

"Again. I didn't request that. I have no obligation to be loyal to him" He indifferently replied.

"Ulquiorra. Who is this?" Ichigo asked him.

"The only Duke I had never under my command, as he acts solely on the direct orders of Yama: Kurokage. He's practically the 0 in the ranks"

"So that's why he's so damn strong" Ichigo replied.

"My rank is known as _Nulla_, for your information. I would love to erase you right here, right now, but Yama-sama ordered me to deliver his message only. To be honest, I thought it would be a lot harder... But it seems your measures are not nearly enough against the power of the higher Demons"

"You Oni will pay for this!" Ichigo spat.

"Oni? How funny. Let me teach you that the ones above Dukes don't go by that cathegory. We are known as _Majin_, as we are considered monsters even among our Demon-kin. And of course... Yama-sama is, in simple terms, a God"

"I don't give two shits about what you or your King are. I'm gonna make sure that not even ashes remain after everything you've done. Ulquiorra..."

"Yes, I'm ready" The Primera replied.

The two Arrancar charged towards Kurokage at a speed that produced a sonic boom.

Kurokage was impressed to say the least, but even so, it wasn't so easy to kill him. His level, unknown to his adversaries, was equal to the strongest Prince, Kachiki, due to his total control and mastery of his special ability.

Kurokage seemed to slither like a snake around the Espadas' attacks, apparently dodging them all.

"Tsk... Is this really the level of the King of Hueco Mundo? How utterly pathetic" He insulted him.

Ichigo frowned as he realized the troublesome nature of his enemy. He felt that his attacks were perfectly directed, so why didn't they reach him?

"Ulquiorra, make sure to get as far away as possible" Ichigo told him. "I've been learning to control it, but under these circumstances, I'm not sure I'm up to the task"

"Okay. Good luck" Ulquiorra said as he flew away.

"Ho? What might you be planning to do?"

Wouldn't you like to find out?" Ichigo replied teasingly, instantly getting dead serious afterwards. "Void... **_Las Noches_**"

His long tunic appeared as his Hollow Zanpakutou disappeared.

In his hand however, a darkness was forming.

"_Muerte Negra_"

A long Scythe made out of pure darkness appeared, just like the Reishi sword he created in his Final Getsuga Tenshou.

Kurokage could feel the atmosphere becoming more somber and thicker.

"That power is something" He thought, not letting his guard down.

In a wink, Ichigo appeared before his eyes, slashing the giant weapon.

Kurokage managed to dodge just in time, but Ichigo grabbed him with his bare hand and tossed him away from Las Noches, breaking a small piece of the ceiling.

"Now there's no need to restrain myself" Ichigo told the Demon as he kicked his body, which got smashed into the sand.

"Ungh... No way" Kurokage thought. "At this rate I'll have to release my sword. But... Yama-sama didn't order me that. No, I should get going, otherwise it will only get more dangerous.

"You're not getting up. Maybe you liked the white sand of this desert. Unfortunately, you don't deserve to enjoy anything this world has to offer. Disappear" Ichigo declared, pointing his two horns at him. "**_Gran Rey Cero: Medianoche_**"

A pitch black orb was formed in the top of his head, blasting away a Cero as absolute as the night above them. No attack could compare to it in the current realm of Hollows.

In the area, no trace of the Demon was left. Only a splattered shadow remained.

Unfortunately, the dark blots started reforming, recreating the definitive form of the Duke of Nulla.

"Damn you, Kurosaki Ichigo" The humanoid shadow spoke.

"Why are you still alive?!" Ichigo asked in reply, full of disgust.

"You forced me to release my blade. That's something I had never done in battle. Do you have any idea of what this means?" He asked, as pissed off as he could possibly get. "I'm gonna be so happy as I rip you apart!"

"Yeah? Why don't you try to show me?"

"I'll be waiting for you... In Jigoku. Don''t worry, I left the door open" Kurokage said as he disappeared in the soil, opening a special Kimon only a shadow could access.

"He turned into a literal shadow. What a cheap trick...!" Ichigo kicked the sand, enraged. "He killed all those innocents just to get my attention! Fuck!"

The rest of the Espada arrived moments after, led by Ulquiorra.

"Ichigo!" Nel rushed to his side. "I heard from Ulquiorra, are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine... But I can't say the same about the village he massacred" He angrily replied.

"Did he escape?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Yeah. He released his blade and turned into an actual shadow, so he survived even my strongest attacks. What a pain..."

"Then... How are we supposed to kill it?" Grimmjow asked.

"I don't know! I'm thinking... There must be a way, but I can't seem to come up with it"

"How did he enter?" Harribel inquired.

"Kurokage is able to hide in the shadows, and is practically impossible to know he is" Ulquiorra explained. "It might be my fault, now that I think about it. A Kimon was opened in the desert and I went to check it out. A small group of Oni came out of it, but they were easily taken care of. It was probably a distraction so that he could hide in my shadow"

"What a bothersome ability indeed" Gin agreed.

"You don't have to take the blame" Lilynette told Ulquiorra. "He simply had a plan and carried it out perfectly. There was no way for you to know"

"No, but I did know about him and a bit of his abilities. I shouldn't have been so careless" Ulquiorra facepalmed.

"It doesn't matter, Ulquiorra. I wasn't able to get to the village in time either, so I'm equally at fault" Ichigo replied bitterly. "Goddammit...!"

Nel simply hugged him, without saying a word. She knew how bad he was having it as her shared heart told her. As a King, Ichigo felt that everything that occurred in Las Noches was his responsibility, so such dramatic turn of events was a great failure for him.

"Thanks, Nel" He sighed, calming down a bit. "It's also important to note that this happened because Yama wants me to meet him"

Everyone stared in shock.

"You mean, we were summoned by him?" Harribel asked.

"At the very least he wants me, but I'm sure it must be a trap..." Ichigo could see red flags all over the place. "Still, his objective is the Heart of Tsukoyomi, so as long as it is well protected, there should be no problem. Nageki just finished a device that fulfills that matter"

"Then there's no reason to keep waiting. Let's go kick his ass right now!" Grimmjow spouted.

"If it only were that simple..." Ichigo muttered. "I want to make sure that the place is well protected if I'm gonna leave. How is the Legion of the Serpent going?"

"Last time I checked on them, they were pretty much used to our new lifestyle" Harribel replied.

"Aum, they seem to be a lot calmer" Satya added.

"In that case, there's no reason to wait any longer. I'll turn them into Arrancar and give them the duty to protect Las Noches. I know that there's not much they can do against Demons, but at the very least, they'll keep the rest of the citizens safe"

Everyone nodded in agreement and they all started heading back.

"Tomorrow I'll decide who is to enter Jigoku, as well as the teams for that matter. No one is fighting alone, got it?" Ichigo ordered.

"Yes!" They all replied.

Back in the Palace, he encountered Renji, Rukia and Orihime.

"Ichigo! We heard about the village..." Rukia knew that he would be in low spirits.

"You did?" He sighed. "Well, we came to the conclusion that the enemy was more prepared than we were... But I'm taking measures so that doesn't happen again. If everything goes out well, we could finish this war tomorrow"

"Really? How?" Orihime asked.

"Yama invited us to Jigoku. It must be a scheme of him, but I believe we have enough countermeasures to take the risk, though there are still a couple things I haven't been able to clear..."

"In any case, you can count me in, man. I'll give you all the help you need. I've gotten pretty strong training with Grimmjow as well" Renji offered a hand.

"Thank you, Renji, I'll take it into consideration"

"Remember Ichigo, you're not on your own" Rukia reassured. "You should contact Urahara. He might have a good plan, in case you're not completely sure"

"Good idea. I didn't want to bother anyone else with anything else, to be honest, but I can't be so stubborn with so many lives at stake" Ichigo consciously accepted the offer. "I'll go see him right away. You guys are gonna stay here?"

"Yeah, there's no time to waste. We should get ready for tomorrow"

"Okay"

Before he could open the _Garganta_, a number of steps entered the room.

"That won't be necessary" The voice of hat and clogs said.

"Urahara?!" Everyone looked at him.

The shop owner had come along with Yoruichi and the Vizards that had gone to Hueco Mundo before.

"Ichigo-sama!" Rudbornn came running from the hallway. "I tried to stop the intruders but they-"

"I understand, Rudbornn, don't worry" Ichigo replied. "I'll take care"

"Yes, my Lord"

The arriving Shinigami looked odd as they heard the way in which that Arrancar treated Ichigo, but they passed it as being because of his power, except for Urahara.

"Sorry for intruding, but the situation is much worse than you can imagine" The man said with a serious expression, unlike him.

"What do you mean?" Grimmjow was interested.

"Soul Society is under attack" Yoruichi replied.

Renji and Rukia snapped.

"What?! Why?!"

"Believe it or not, it seems that the Demons were not the only enemy of the Seireitei at the current moment. There have been Captains disappearing in the Dangai, and we have no idea of who might be behind it all" He explained. "However, I've come to the conclusion that the Demons will not stop just by getting the artifact of Hueco Mundo" He referred to the Heart of Tsukoyomi. "Eventually, they will try to get to the Soul King as well"

"The Soul... King?!" Everyone who knew felt as if their heart stopped.

"Yeah, so... If there's a moment to act, regardless of the sudden turn of events in Soul Society, it is now, and I will give it my all to end it once and for all"

"Urahara..." Ichigo was impressed. He had never seen the man so determined to fight. He was sure that he had potential, but the true power of the ex-Captain of the 12th Squad was a mystery for almost everyone.

"Oi, don't forget about us!" Hiyori spat. "We came to help you even after our help was requested by the Seireitei, so you should be grateful!"

"That means Soul Society is in real peril... Wait, shouldn't they ask for Ichigo to-" Rukia realized.

"They did. In fact, they asked for the help of everyone possible, but I told them that this was far more urgent. We are going directly into Jigoku, and for that, I need your power"

"They still don't know that Ichigo is...?" Nel asked.

"They shouldn't, but I wouldn't bet on it" Yoruichi knew how Soul Society could be in that matter.

"Where are Chad and Ishida?" Ichigo asked.

"I told them to stay in the Human World, just in case" Urahara replied. "Although you can imagine how eager they were to come"

"I hope they are safe..." Orihime wished.

"So, first things first, I need you to tell me everything about the Demons you fought so far. I already talked with the others" Urahara asked Ichigo and the five others that were pending.

Everyone explained their fights in detail, and, Ichigo and Ulquiorra also told him about Kurokage.

"So he turns into a shadow" Urahara confirmed.

"Yes. I couldn't deal him any damage in that state" Ichigi replied.

"Hm... That is really interesting. I think I might have an idea, but I doubt I'd manage to force him into releasing his sword. I'm a bit rusty, you know?"

"I can force him to do it, and then you take over" Ichigo proposed.

"Good idea. In any case, I have Yoruichi-san to support me"

"Don't play dumb, Kisuke, you know you are more than capable to handle things on your own" The woman replied. "You're just too lazy to go serious, that's all"

"Don't underestimate them, Yoruichi-san. While I am pretty capable in comparison to the standards of the Seireitei, that means nothing down there..." Urahara replied.

"Changing the topic a bit... I see new faces around the place" Lisa looked at the new Espada.

"Yeah! As you can see, Ichigo reformed the Espada" Nel proudly stated.

"You... Really did that, Kurosaki-san?" Urahara asked impressed.

"Yes, although I didn't do it alone. Everyone helped" He replied with modesty.

"Wait a moment. So that means... Ichigo is...?" Yoruichi hadn't realized until that moment.

"Yes. Ichigo is the King of Hueco Mundo" Ulquiorra said her thoughts.

The Vizards' jaws dropped, while Yoruichi widened her eyes. Their suspicion was confirmed, but even so, it was completely astonishing.

"How in the world?!" Hiyori yelled.

"Damn..." Love was out of words.

"..." Lisa and Hachi stayed silent, still trying to process the new information.

"Wow, Ichigo... You far surpassed any expectation I had of your life as an Arrancar" Yoruichi admitted, amused.

"What do you mean, Yoruichi-san?" Urahara asked. "He's always like this, isn't he? I thought you knew this would happen"

"Please, don't get me wrong" Yoruichi clarified. "I knew he'd be pretty strong and all... But him becoming King in a bit more than a week is just... It simply leaves you out of words. How can you be so calm, Kisuke?"

"Well, Ulquiorra told us before, remember? How everything he did revolved around Ichigo, and that he became an Arrancar, as he had the theory that Ichigo was destined to rule"

"I do remember, but you said it clearly. It was just a theory" Lisa replied. "I never thought such a thing could be true, to be honest"

"But here he is" Bryssling joined the conversation. "And I have no doubt about him. He's a natural leader, and a monster in battle. If there's anyone able to lead us right now, it is him"

"Aum, but don't forget Ichimaru-dono" Satya added, making all the others even more shocked.

"What... Did he just say?" Hachigen needed to confirm that his ears were not tricking him.

"And here we go again..." The silver haired man shook his head as he facepalmed. He had managed to hide his presence as by concealing his Reiatsu and hiding behind a pillar, but in the end, he was back in square one. "Well, at least I see a face that might be able to come up with an explanation, cause I have none"

"So it wasn't a coincidence or a misunderstanding" Urahara said seriously as he saw the man. "It is really you, Ichimaru-san, and for what I can see, you're not a Shinigami anymore"

"But, Kisuke, how is this possible?" Yoruichi was confused as well.

"I'll have a talk with him later, cause right now, I have no idea" He replied. "But if I had to bet, I'd say it has something to do with the Hogyoku"

"Huh?" Gin seemed enlightened as he thought of said possibility. "Could it be...?"

"But, going back to the current problem, I think it's time we organize ourselves" Urahara concluded Gin's topic.

"Right" Ichigo nodded. "First of all, who is exactly attacking Soul Society?"

"We are not sure about _who_ it is, but they are certainly Shinigami, as their Reiatsu is the same as ours"

"What about Arikado?" Nel remembered the Duke Ichigo had spared.

"He was sleeping inside a capsule in Squad 12's barracks, so he probably hasn't seen anything yet. It seems Mayuri managed to study him, though I thoroughly warned him not to do him any harm. I believe they are going to wake him up pretty soon at this rate anyway. There's no need to worry, as that guy won't let any of this go any further" He remembered his previous colleague.

"I hope that's the case..." Rukia said worried. "Nii-san... Please be safe"

"At least it's not the Demons" Renji pointed out.

"That's what we are trying to prevent" Urahara replied. "So... Let's see what we'll be doing"

~~~~X~~~~

Kon was jumping through some buildings, trying to find the source of some strange feeling he got.

"It should be around here..." He said as he walked through a normal parking lot. "Geez... Instead of doing this I could be looking for some nice looking- Wait, I shouldn't do that anymore... I promised Ichigo" He reminded himself. "Maybe... It's time to stop fooling around and try something more... Serious" He looked at his hand, not believing what he had just said, it was not like him at all. Was finally having a body of his own giving him a different mindset? All he knew, was that the Kon of the past would've never said something like that. "What's going on with me...?"

His existential crisis was interrupted as he tripped over a strange object.

"Wha-?!" He fell on the concrete. "Ungh... What the hell?" He inspected the cause of the fall.

A bulge of odd shape and size was just laying on the floor. It appeared to be some kind of blanket, but there was clearly something under it, as it was impossible that a mere blanket made him trip.

He lifted the covers, only to become red at the sight of a beautiful naked girl, apparently unconscious.

"EH?!" He couldn't believe it.

She had dark green hair and fair skin. She looked like a teenager.

He couldn't inspect his discovery any further as a woman started screaming.

"Police! Police! There's a pervert!"

"Ah?! Nononononono! It's all a misunderstanding! I'm just...!" He couldn't make up an excuse.

"Dosukebe! Hentai!"

"Shit!" Was all he could say as he picked the girl and ran away as fast as he could without showing he wasn't a human.

Back in the Kurosaki house, he left the girl sleeping in his bed as he tried to understand what had just happened.

"What am I gonna do? Anyway you look at it, this is exactly what I promised Ichigo NOT to do!" He ravaged his hair nervously. "Rukia's gonna kill me..."

~~~~X~~~~

Meanwhile, in the Soul Society, a group of Captains were making preparations for the worst case scenario.

"Tch, tch, tch... That Inaba believes himself to be so damn smart... Ha! I'll show him what an idiot he is..." Mayuri said as he locked Arikado.

"So, are you gonna help us?" Shinji asked him.

"As long as you bring me what I requested" The scientist clarified.

"Oi, Shinji, but isn't it a bit irresponsible to leave the Seireitei with all this stuff occurring?" Kensei asked.

"There won't be a Seireitei if we leave those Demons alone, I can tell you that" Shinji replied. "Is it safe?"

"I wouldn't say 'safe' is the correct term when using alternate passages of the Precipice World... And even more now that Inaba has been meddling with it. But, considering what you asked me, it is the only choice"

"How are we gonna stop the Kouryuu?" Rose asked.

"I asked Kisuke to give me a hand with that" Shinji picked a bag. "Let's go, we can't let Hiyori and the rest surpass us so easily!"

"Yay, Kensei! Time to get all tough!" Mashiro made a pose that displayed her bicep.

"Off you go" Mayuri said as he opened the Senkaimon. "Needless to say, if you don't bring me that thing, all the Seireitei will know about the new King of Hueco Mundo" He threatened.

"We'll do our best" Shinji replied carelessly.

"Also, you better be right about your wager. Otherwise you won't ever reach Hueco Mundo"

"If we are not able to sort _that_ out, we can't even dream of helping ichigo, as simple as that" Kensei said in reply.

"Good luck, Mayuri" Rose wished him.

"I appreciate your intention, but men of science have no need for such things" He refuted. "Now leave, before I change my mind"

"See ya" Shinji left through the portal, followed by his comrades.

~~~~X~~~~

**Sorry for the wait, but I had to check a couple things from the "Invading Army" filler, as I always liked how they explained the origin of Mod Souls, so yep, I'm adding that to this story. I don't know about other fillers yet, as most don't complement anything, but that's not the case of this one, but of course... I don't consider CFYOW to be a filler for that same reason.**

**From this chapter on, begins the "Siege of Hell Arc" if you'd like to call it some way. **

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Great chapter! Loved it! Keep it up! This was truly fantastic! I also liked how you were able to have Lilynette still commune with Starrk despite them no longer able to talk face to face on the physical plane. Still, I'm glad she's feeling "whole" again in a way. Speaking of...when Satya helped her out earlier...did I smell a possible future pairing~? *smirks*_****_Also enjoyed Satya's small fight and struggle over his Aspect (why does he look so similar to the Sage of Six Paths/Ten-Tails Madara from Naruto?) and both Grimmjow's reaction to it, along with Halibel attempting to reach out to him. Something tells me that her Fraccioné will want to talk to her about what she feels for Grimmjow; despite their talk with Nel. But yea_**.

**_Again, looking forward to more! I also hope that Ichigo will master his Hollowfying ability soon so he can change Orihime and allow her to be with Ulquiorra. Speaking of, seeing as Gin will be Espada 9 (temporarily), will Orihime take his place sometime down the future once he's back to normal and reunited with Rangiku? It sounds like that would be a pretty solid plan if you ask me, but hey. Your story, not mine._**

**_Glad you also passed exams! Means more chapters (although take your time to relax as well!) in the future! WHOO!_**

**Reply: Well, I thought it would be nice giving her a relationship like the one Ichigo and Mugetsu have right now, though hers is obviously a lot closer. Also, Satya's behaviour so far is just because he had never truly interacted with a girl before. The closest thing would've been his little fight with Nel, but that's still pretty far. We'll see if anything more develops in the future.****Also, his looks are similar to Madara because, Madara's are based upon the Japanese Buddhist high priests, which is the same vibe I wanted to give Satya, although his powers could be more reminiscent to Shaka from Saint Seiya. I touched Harribel's topic here so, it's a matter of time.**

**Regarding Ichigo, he's basically done. There was simply not a moment for him to do it this time. Will Orihime have what it takes to be an Espada? We shall see...**

**I'm also stoked about finishing my first year "perfectly", cause despite all the other stuff I did throughout the year, I survived. I rest whenever I need it and enjoy my vacations in other ways as well, so don't worry, though I appreciate that you care, thank you.**

**See you next time! Evhron out.**

**Glosary:**

**_Gran Rey Cero: Medianoche: _Basically, the ultimate form of Ichigo's special _Cero_, done with his horns instead of his hands.**


	29. Feel Your Love Tonight

The meeting ended about two hours later. They had designed the teams that would work together, as well as certain strategies that would help them in their journey through the depths of Hell.

Now, Ichigo had gotten hold of the Heart of Tsukoyomi, ready to turn the complete Legion of the Serpent into Arrancar.

"Let's see how much it takes..." He said as he placed his hand on top of the black box.

He charged an enormous quantity of Hollow Reiatsu. The box seemed to absorb it all, preventing him from damaging his surroundings due to his abysmal pressure. By the end of the process he was panting heavily, as he had almost no Reiatsu left.

The box opened, revealing the tesseract. Ichigo held it, embedding his will to recover his Reiatsu. The artifact responded accordingly.

"Wow... It really is like Nageki said, but it's still a hassle. But, as a security measure, it's fine. Even with their massive Reiatsu, the Demons don't have the Hollow type, so it's worthless in the case they intend to open it"

He went to the settlement he had made for the Legion, and explained the current situation and the importance of their aid.

"...You have a greater potential than most Arrancar around here, so you must act responsibly and protect those who are weaker than you. Understood?"

"Yes, Ichigo-sama!" They agreed.

"Excellent"

Ichigo went one by one, releasing the power of the tesseract upon each of the Hollows.

Once they were all Arrancar, Ichigo concluded by saying:

"I'm very happy to announce that you are now official citizens of Las Noches. Back when I met you all, you were all just beasts fighting for their own survival. Now, I can see comrades that fight for something much greater, the prosperity of this reign. Don't get the wrong idea, by this I'm not talking about me at all. All Kings die eventually, but this, this society we have built together, will not. That's what you must think about when you see yourselves in the need to fight. I will support you as much as I can, and help you whenever you need it, but even so, good luck. Let's keep working for the sake of Hueco Mundo and the Hollows that live in it!"

The whole Legion of the Serpent applaused to Ichigo's concluding speech, now understanding the noble nature of the kingdom Harribel set the bases of, and that Ichigo was now building.

Ichigo felt a bit better as that ray of hope illuminated him. Seeing the psychological metamorphosis that those Hollows had experienced was a very fulfilling achievement. Still, he would not forget the deaths that occurred earlier that day. He would make the Demons pay, or he wouldn't be able to call himself King.

On his way back, he saw Orihime standing by the entrance to the main palace.

"Ah, Ichigo!"

"What is it, Inoue?"

"I... I wanted to know if... There was some progress with..."

Ichigo immediately seemed uncomfortable.

"*sigh* Look, now it's not the best time, okay? We are going to war tomorrow-"

"With more reason I think it's important" She replied. "Ulquiorra will go with you to fight Yama directly. You can't expect me to be calm after knowing that..."

She was right. The Primera Espada was quite strong on his own, but the enemy they were facing was in a diffefent realm of power.

"I know that my power might not be so great..." She continued. "But as little as it is, I want him to know that I'm there with him while he fights"

"Inoue..." Ichigo could see the determination in her eyes. She truly loved him. "Alright. I understand, and I owe you so... I can't really decline"

"Then..."

"Yes. I know what to do now, and I have the Heart with me" He looked at the artifact. "Let's do it, right here, right now"

"Really?!" She seemed really happy, but nervous as well. "W-What should I do?"

"Just... Don't be afraid, alright?" Ichigo got his Hollow Zanpakutou out of the sheath. "Cause for this to work... Mugetsu said that... I must pierce your heart"

"My... Heart..." She felt a sheer cold go through her as she heard that. In spite of that, her love was stronger. "Very well. I'm ready"

"Sure?"

"Absolutely" She nodded, seriously.

"I'll do it as quick as possible, so that it hurts the least" Ichigo clarified, exhaling as he pointed the white blade at her.

The next second, the sword entered her chest swiftly. Orihime felt a warm pain inside her heart, while her soul became colder. It was a moment in which life and death seemed to fight over her, deciding what her fate should be.

"Void... _**Las Noches**"_ The release command, instead of making Ichigo transform, opened a void in the center of her neck as her heart disappeared, erasing the pain, but the sensation of being alive along with it.

It was an antithesis. Dying for living. However, said feeling made her fully understand what being a Hollow was like for the first time.

Her face felt odd as a white mask started shaping and covering it, darkening her scleras.

Ichigo coldly acted as he pulled the blade out of her chest, using the tesseract to purify her Hollowfication process. There was no place for emotions, as it would only bring needless hesitation.

The white mass hardened itself and broke in pieces, leaving only two white little curvy horns on top of her head.

The rest of her body seemed unchanged.

On the floor, appeared a white sheath. The sword inside, had a tsuba in the shape and colour of her usual hair pin, Shun Shun Rikka.

Orihime suddenly felt weak and lost her balance.

Ichigo caught her, as she was at the border of passing out.

"Inoue!" He called her name. "Are you alright?"

She opened her eyes a bit and weakly said.

"Please... Take me... With Ulqui...kun"

She became unconscious as soon as she finished the sentence.

~~~~X~~~~

Ichigo summoned Ulquiorra to his and Orihime's room.

"Ichigo! What happened?" He seemed worried. Ichigo said it was urgent after all.

"She did it" Ichigo replied, his look indicating the Espada to look at his girlfriend.

"Inoue..." He inspected her, although mostly seemed to be the same as always. He instantly noticed the Hollow Hole on her neck, as well as the two cute horns on top of her head.

"She said that she wanted to become a Whole with you before you left" Ichigo explained. "That's why she rushed"

"That means... You can even turn Humans into Hollows?" Ulquiorra asked impressed.

"So it seems..." Ichigo nodded. "More importantly, this also means that you will have to get ready for later" Ichigo deviated his eyes as he said that, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"What happens later?" Ulquiorra asked oblivious.

"Oh, c'mon. Even someone like you should be able to tell!"

"Ah... You mean..." Ulquiorra blushed a bit.

"Yeah, there's no need to say it" Ichigo replied. "Cause after this... She won't take a no for an answer"

"But... Ichigo. I... I have no idea what I-"

"Just... Go with the flow" Ichigo carelessly replied. "It worked for me so... As long as you know the theory it'll be just fine. You'll both be sloppy the first time, but it's just how it is. I don't consider myself particularly experienced so don't ask me"

"*sigh* I'll do my best..." He accepted. "And... Thank you, Ichigo. I might not be worthy after everything I've done... But, I believe you are the closest thing I have to a friend"

"If you say so..." Ichigo took a deep breath. "Look, I'm aware of your reasons Ulquiorra. I understand everything you've done up to this point, and to be honest, I don't hate you... Despite that, it's also difficult for me to call you a friend after... Well, everything. Still, I trust you" He clarified. "Believe me, I wouldn't let someone I didn't trust to even touch her, so that much is proof of what I think of you right now. Just... Try not to leave a negative impact in the others. Not everyone is so happy with the decisions you've made up to this point, but try to show them that you're sorry at the very least... Even if you don't really feel that way"

"But... That would be lying. After all... I don't regret anything, as it's all turned out the way I expected"

"Maybe. But people will still be hostile towards you if you don't show a bit of empathy, you know?"

"Empathy... She told me about that once"

"And she can teach you a lot about it as well. You saw the way in which she scolded me the other time for my lack of it after all..."

"Yes..." Ulquiorra chuckled. "I clearly remember"

"Man, I had never seen her get _that_ angry before..." Ichigo chuckled.

"Are all women like that?" Ulquiorra asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, so sweet... But when they get angry..."

"Hahaha... I don't know. Probably" Ichigo laughed. "For instance, Nel's never been really angry with me before, but she was furious with Grimmjow once... Oh, and another time with Yoruichi, but that was more like a cold anger. Scary to say the least..."

"So it is possible that such behaviour applies to all women..." Ulquiorra theorized.

"Pretty much... Though it seems that the sweetest ones tend to be the most fearsome in those situations" Ichigo replied. "It's like having an Angel and a Demon all in one"

"Amusing" Ulquiorra muttered as he beheld Orihime.

~~~~X~~~~

Ashido was training with the Vizards as the Tres Bestias watched.

"~Haaaah~" They all sighed in unison as they saw him fight.

"I guess the Hollow Hunter is still doing his job... Though in a different way" Nel said as she approached them from behind. "Don't you think so, Harri?"

"H-Harribel-sama!" They all snapped.

"I-It's not like that! We just... See how much he has improved!" Apacci excused.

"Y-Yeah... We... We are... Err..." Mila Rose tried to come up with something, to no avail.

Sung-Sun limited herself to blush in silence.

"No need for excuses. I'm well aware of your feelings towards Ashido-san" Harribel replied. "Which leads me to... My own confession. Like it or not I... I am... I am in love with Grimmjow"

The three felt those words like it was a kick in the stomach.

"I'm sorry, Harribel-sama but... I just don't understand..." Sung-Sun replied.

"Yeah, why him?" Apacci asked.

"He's just like those wild male Adjuchas we used to find in the past!" Mila Rose added.

"Look, I don't think there is really a reason behind it all. It's just how things turned out" She replied seriously. "In my time of need, he was there to help me. Despite his attitude, I know he's not a bad person. He's reckless and an idiot, I won't deny that, but he's the man I fell in love with" She declared. "So, with or without your approval... I'm gonna go ahead and do what I feel is right"

The Fracciones looked like a scolded bunch as their heads tilted downwards. Nel, on the other hand, seemed to be proud about her friend's resolve.

"Come on girls... Be a little more comprehensive" Nel told them. "She might not say or show it, but Harri worries about what you think of her choices as well. You are her family, and that's something that won't ever change, so try to be more supportive"

The three felt sad as the realized the damage they were doing to their master with their absolute rejection.

"Sorry, Lady Harribel" Mila Rose said first.

"Yes... It wasn't our intention to hurt you" Apacci continued.

"We just want what's best for you" Sung-Sun concluded. "But you are right. Just like we didn't choose to fall in love with Ashido-san... You didn't choose your love either"

Harribel seemed relief to hear that. She felt like hugging her Fracciones, but felt too embarrassed to do so.

"T-Thank you... For understanding" She said, getting closer to them but not doing anything else.

Nel knew what she truly wanted to do so she decided to push her towards the three so she hugged them all.

"Just enjoy it, Harri" Nel whispered. "There's no need to hide your feelings"

Harribel sighed as she embraced her Fracciones tightly, feeling her heart becoming lighter.

"Thank you, Nel-sama" She whispered back as she let go of the embrace with her Fracciones.

"No problem" She smiled friendly at her. "Though you could give me a hand with a little something..."

"What is it?"

"Could you lend me a spare uniform?"

"Um... Sure. But, don't you have your own?" She asked intrigued.

"Yeah, but I wanted to make a little surprise for Ichigo, and your design is quite... Alluring" She admitted.

"Y-You really think that?! It's not... Indecent... Is it?" She asked worried.

"No, no, not at all. I mean... It does show off your body but it's not in a bad way" Nel clarified. "I just... Want to try something different to distract him a little. He's been very busy lately and... Today was a pretty bad day with the massacre and all..."

"I understand. I'll give you one later, though I think you're a small bit bigger than I am..." Harribel pointed out.

"Don't worry, that only makes it better" She giggled.

~~~~X~~~~

Later, that day, thinking about what had happened with Harribel, the three Fracciones decided to finally act. They couldn't just let things be, or else Ashido could fall in the claws or some other woman, or so they believed.

The fact that Nel had explaimed to them what being a Whole was and consisted of, only added wood to the sparks that they already had in their relationship, creating a blazing inferno.

"Okay. We've had fun and everything, but I think it's time we decide once and for all..." Apacci declared as they entered his room.

They were used to be there, but this time, it was to achieve something final.

"Ho? Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Mila Rose asked. "Cause if it is that way... Bring it on!"

"Oh, please, could you please act like adults _once_ in your lives?" Sung-Sun requested. "Or maybe asking wild beasts to behave like people is too much to begin with..."

The other two growled in reply.

"Say what you want! In the end, Ashido can only choose one of us" Apacci spouted.

"Yeah, and it's surely not gonna be a brat like you or a coldblooded snake like you either!" Mila Rose proudly said.

"Hey!" Apacci protested.

"I'm sorry, Mila Rose, but I believe you're aspiring to something unreachable for an animal like you" Sung-Sun said mockingly. "Don't worry, I'm sure that Ashido will gladly accept you as his pet and Apacci as an adoptive daughter"

"Who are you calling animal, bitch?!"

"I don't know! Maybe your ugly monkey face!"

"I've got more personality than any of you sluts!"

The three engaged in a fight of both clothes and hair-pulling, with a couple fists and scratches here and there, all adorned with a relentless screaming and insulting.

"Um... What are you doing fighting in my room?" The man asked, really worried.

"Ashido!" Mila Rose stopped right before scratching Apacci.

"Ashido-kun!" Apacci fell to the floor.

"Ashido-san..." Sung-Sun covered her mouth with her sleeve.

"What happened? I know you three don't have the best relationship but, this is a bit... Too much..." He admitted.

"Ehem... Ashido-san" Sung-Sun started. "I'm sorry about this inexcusable behaviour, and that we might put you in a difficult spot, but... I'm afraid that we need an answer right now"

"An answer?" He looked puzzled. "About what?"

"You see" Apacci continued. "Arrancar are able to form an unbreakable bond between their souls..."

"But said bond, in Nel-sama's words, is only formed when _two_ Arrancar unite"

"Alas, we need you to decide... Who will you pick?" Sung-Sun concluded.

"Or, in simple words: Who do you love the most?" Apacci simplified.

The three directed their look straight at Ashido's eyes, who simply sighed with bother.

"Is that what this is all about?" He asked them, not believing that they were fighting over him.

"YES!" The Tres Bestias replied with perfect timing.

"I mean... I know about what you're telling me, and I understand that it is an important matter but... What makes you think I would pick one of you?"

The serious expressions of the three became pale faces of shock.

"W-W-What?" Apacci widened her eyes.

"Eeeehhhhh?!" Mila Rose yelled.

"What...? What do you mean, Ashido-san?" Sung-Sun asked, her heart slowly tearing into pieces.

"What I just said. You are all dear friends of mine, but..."

"Oh no...!" Mila Rose started.

"It's... It's...!" Apacci followed.

"...The friend zone!" Sung-Sun completed along her fellow Fracciones.

The hearts of the three seemed to break at the same time, all bursting into tears as they hugged each other in a way they would've never done otherwise.

"How foolish we were...!" Apacci cried at them.

"Yeah... In the end... The only bond that will ever last..." Sung-Sun sobbed.

"...Is ours with Lady Harribel!" Mila Rose finished.

Ashido looked stranged, yet amazed at the picture they created, which was something he never imagined would see.

As soon as he engraved it into his memory, he shook his head, letting out a loud sigh.

The next thing he did, was walking to them and, after looking at their heartbroken faces, he decided to put an end to it.

He held Apacci by her shoulders as he pressed his lips against hers, looking at her gorgeous eyes as he did so, while earning a look of shock from the other two.

"Ashido... Kun...?" Apacci muttered confused, yet flourishing with happiness as she hopefully blushed.

Then, without a single second to waste, he wildly kissed Mila Rose, savoring her as he pressed her head against his, caressing her mane and feeling her soft breasts against his chest.

"Mmmhhhh... Ha...!" Mila Rose's mouth wetly separated from his. "Ashido..."

And finally, without even breaking the string of saliva that formed between him and the dark-skinned woman, he wrapped his tongue around Sung-Sun's, which was extremely long, easily reaching his throat, as well as bifid in the tip, feeling dreamy as he put his arms around her incredibly thin waist.

"Oh... Ashido-san...! ~Mmmmhhhhhh~" She delightfully played with her reptile tongue around his, giving him a unique feeling no other woman could match.

Ashido, clearly blushing, let go of the last girl, and panted as he told them:

"Fools... You didn't let me finish..." He couldn't help but chuckle. "I said that you couldn't expect me to pick ONE of you. I love you three equally, and for different reasons. How can you ask me to do something like that?" He inquired. "Sure... In theory, Wholes are only between two, but I talked with Ichigo and he said that there have only been two pairs of Wholes in the history of Hueco Mundo. I thought we could find out wether there are exceptions to the rule..."

"Ashido I... Don't know what to say...!" Mila Rose blushed intensely.

"I guess... We never thought you felt this way..." Sung-Sun admitted.

"Is this how you really feel, Ashido-kun?" Apacci asked, hope shining in her eyes.

"Yes. I would never lie to you three about something so important" He pat their heads by turns. "Well, of course... If you feel uncomfortable with my egoist decission... I understand" He clarified. "It might be greedy of me to want to have you all... But I promise, that these feelings are only for you three girls"

The trio smiled, feeling that this moment was the reason they were alive.

"So... Do you accept my decision?" He asked a tad shy.

The girls looked at each other, still in disbelief for what had just happened, accepting to share their love.

"Ashido...!" The Tres Bestias savagely snuggled him at the same time.

"Woah!" He succumbed to their indomitable affection. "Easy... I love you all..." He chuckled as he gave a kiss to each.

The Hollow Hunter had perfectly captured the hearts of the Fracciones, making a promise he would not break.

~~~~X~~~~

Late, at nighttime, Ulquiorra was watching over Orihime from the balcony in their room. It wasn't hard for him to stay awake after this, especially now, since his mind kept going in circles about a gigantic amount of ideas born of the girl's decision.

His train of thought seemed suddenly interrupted by a real event though.

"Ulqui...Kun...?" The voice of the girl called him.

"Inoue!" He snapped, leaning by her saide on the bed and holding her hand. "How... How are you feeling?"

"Now? I think it's alright" She muttered. "But... When it first happened, I finally understood why you all have it so hard..." She confessed. "The emptiness I felt as soon as my physical heart was disintegrated, was something uncomparable to anything else. It was like being dead"

"I'm sorry you had to feel that way..." He caressed her cheek as he pressed his forehead with hers.

"Don't be..." She put her hand in his cheek as well, smiling. "This was my choice. And now... We can finally be together, as one" She kissed him.

"Haa... Inoue" He panted. "I don't... I don't know what I have to-"

"Shh..." She put her index finger in his mouth. "It's my first time too..." She calmed him. "Don't be scared. The best part is that we will discover it together"

"Is that so...?" He wondered.

"Yeah... So kiss me again, and we'll go from there" She concluded.

Ulquiorra smiled as he fulfilled her desire, sealing his dark lips with hers. Orihime's tongue took the lead, guiding his through a world of pleasure he was only starting to grasp.

Kiss after kiss, he could feel as an endless knot was tying his soul to hers, wrapping their feelings around in a beautiful disaster.

Orihime took off his white jacket to kiss his chest, and Ulquiorra, shyly slid the zip of hers.

She giggled as she noticed how the Espada was sweating nervously, insecure about every move he made.

"No need to worry..." She whispered. "I'm nervous too. But I won't force you to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, and I know that neither will you. So it's okay"

"Y-Yes...!" He replied, finally making up the courage to undress her top.

Leaving only her bra, her voluptuous body was in plain sight.

However, his jade eyes were still glued to the void in her neck, menacing to swallow him whole as he became lost in its empty darkness.

"How... Does it look?"

Ulquiorra directed his orbs at her face when she asked that.

"Just like every part of you" He smiled. "Magnificent... Enthralling..." He gently caressed her thin white neck, especially around the hollow. "...Perfect"

"Oh, Ulquiorra..." She said his full name with a delicate tone, pulling him into a long kiss as she purposedly mixed her saliva with his.

Orihime embraced him tightly as she gave him pecks in the neck, and Ulquiorra softly cuddled her back and stroked her orange hair.

After a while, she decided to give herself to him completely.

"Ulquiorra... Take off my bra"

"R-Really?"

"Yes. I want you to feel my body even more..."

"Okay..."

He did as she told him, softly but still, feeling anxious.

Once the white piece of lingerie was out, Ulquiorra gazed at her breasts with a red tone that was worthy of a tomato.

Orihime, blushing as well, stroked them a bit, her nipples getting erect as she built up courage to continue.

"Go ahead..." She panted.

Ulquiorra kissed her again as he fondled her soft melons, letting a bit of drool fall on top of them as their mouths disconneted, only to rejoin again and again in an endless cycle.

After a while, Orihime felt how her lower body started reacting to their foreplay, so she decided to take the next step by slowly pulling his pants down.

"I... Inoue..." He mumbled timidly.

"S-Sorry...!" She apologized. "If you are not ready..."

The Espada chuckled nervously as he decided to take another step.

"No... It's fine. I was a bit surprised, that's all" He clarified, getting the clothes off himself. "If you're ready... To share a bond that lasts for all eternity... I will gladly go all the way"

"Then... I am..." She laid on her back and pulled her skirt and the rest down. "I am yours"

Ulquiorra sealed the pact, kissing her as their bodies became one.

"~Ah~" Orihime moaned, cutely closing a single eye as the pain and pleasure were felt with her virginity broken.

"Inoue... You...!" Ulquiorra became afraid due to the blood he saw.

"Don't stop...!" She rquested. "It's... Normal...!"

The Espada accepted the task and kept going, her wet inside thrusting his manhood, melting the two in an exquisite pleasure.

"Kiss me... Ulquiorra...! Kiss me 'til my mind goes blank" She moaned.

The male Arrancar entangled his fingers with hers with one hand, pressing one of her breasts with the other as he devoured her mouth.

The two cuddled in that position, joy overflowing through them.

"I love you... Ulquiorra" She panted, as tears fell down her eyes with the afterthought of ecstasy. "I love you, I love you, I love you!"

"Oh, Inoue... *pant*" Ulquiorra replied grabbing her by the shoulders. "If there's one thing that gives me happiness in this empty world, it is you..." He confessed. "If there is a single being I can love in this void existence... It can only be you, Inoue Orihime"

He grabbed her back, and pulled her into the tightest embrace he could give her, sliding his tongue in her sweet mouth another time.

The girl carved her nails on his back, while he, out of pure lustful instinct, bit her neck, leaving a small trail of blood running down.

"Argh!" She made a little scream of pain, but feeling an unspoken pleasure as well.

As he tasted the crimson plasma, he realized what he had done, pulling his fangs out.

"Inoue... Are you alright?" He asked worried.

The woman giggled as she gave him a quick peck.

"You naughty vampire..."

"What?"

"You're every teenage girl's dream, did you know that?" His wild reaction instantly reminded her of vampire love novels she once read.

"No...? Why would I...?" He looked totally puzzled.

"Do it again" She whispered in his ear. "I loved it..."

The Espada, not understanding much, simply made her fantasy a reality and digged in her neck once again.

Orihime's eyes became hearts as she became lovedrunk, giggling and moaning madly as the warm sensation of the Espada's fangs sucking her blood hazed her mind.

"Ryou... Rike kthish...?" Ulquiorra asked, still biting her thin white neck.

"I LOOOVE IT!" She howled, engraving her nails on his back even more.

"Fuck... She's like a werewolf..." He thought, not realizing the hilarious meaning behind it all.

After a while, she started feeling a bit numb, while Ulquiorra also noticed that she became a tad pale, so he let go of her neck.

"I... Think it's enough..." He told her.

"Yeah...?" She felt drunk due to the blood loss. "You are mean, Ulqui-kun..." She pouted. "But don't think you'll get away, ahahaha!" She pinned him to the bed.

"Huh?"

"I bite too..." She seductively said, pulling his lower lip with her teeth and kissing him afterwards.

Ulquiorra grabbed her strongly by the rear and pulled her juicy ass against his crotch, making her moan loudly inside his mouth.

"I love you... Inoue!" He told her as the string of saliva formed between them.

"And I love you... Ulquiorra..." She wrapped her tongue around his, outside their mouths. "Call me Orihime..."

"Ori...hime..." He repeated. "So beautiful..."

He finally said it. The name he thought so beautiful, but felt unable to use without her permission. However... None of that mattered anymore.

"~Haah~ ~Haah~ If this keeps up..." She told him, jumping quickly on top of him. "I won't hold much longer...!"

"Neither will I..." He replied, panting heavily. "I don't know what's going on...! But it's like... I'm letting go!"

Ulquiorra pulled her hair as he released it all inside her, biting her neck once more.

"Nnnnrrrghhhhh!"

"MmmmhHHAAAAAaahhhhhh...!" Orihime yelled, as she reached the summit of pleasure herself.

And with that scream, the union between the two had concluded in the best way possible.

Orihime let her body fall on top of his as she rested her head in his Hollow Hole, smiling like she had never done previously in her whole life, all while Ulquiorra pat her head and played with her horns.

Their void, resonated accordingly, establishing the bond the two had wanted to make ever since they knew about it.

On Ulquiorra's, appeared a mark of a golden-yellow Shun Shun Rikka, which showed a different flower in each termination, while on Orihime's, the dark green silhouette of _Chauve-Souris _made its appearance.

Ulquiorra felt an immeasurable happiness emanating from his Hollow Hole.

"Ulqui-kun... We are...!" Orihime was crying of pure joy as she looked him in the eye.

"Yeah... Just like Ichigo and Nelliel said..." Ulquiorra agreed. "This is the greatest happiness a Hollow can achieve..."

"This is what it means to be..." Orihime complemented.

"...Whole" The two said at the same time, hugging and kissing each other one last time before sleeping as one, for the first time.

~~~~X~~~~

Ichigo came back to his room, alone.

"Huh? Don't tell me Nel is still busy... It's been a long day, but she should come back to rest" He thought worried. "Pesche and Dondochakka said she was with Harribel when I asked them, so I didn't want to bother her, but... I hope nothing happened"

He laid on the bed for a moment, looking at the perfectly white ceiling.

"I've done my best as a King over the last weeks... Though I can't help but think that I could do way better. It may be a difficult task defending Las Noches from the Oni, but it's no excuse for my failure today...

I must get stronger... Way stronger..." He looked at his Hollow Zanpakutou, closing his eyes as he entered the realm inside him. "Mugetsu"

"Yes, my King?" The spirit replied.

"What do I have to do to reach _Segunda Etapa_? If my aspect is Life, I remind you that I already accepted this new life I have..."

"I won't deny that... In terms of conditions... You already meet all the requirements"

"Then I should be able to go into _Segunda Etapa _whenever I feel like, right?"

"In theory, but... You are not like the others, Ichigo"

"What do you mean?"

"Remember what happened the first time you entered your _Resurrección_?"

"Yeah... I do..." He could perfectly remember how uncontrollable that power was at first.

"Imagine that, at least 10 times greater. It's risky to say the least, Ichigo" Mugetsu explained. "And also... Our _Segunda Etapa_ is different from the other's as well"

"How is that?"

"That transformation, is the embodiment of the night. In simple words, the perfect synchronization with the Hollow Beast inside this Zanpakutou"

"I have a Hollow Beast too?"

"Yes, and the strongest of them all, of course. I sealed it with Zangetsu's help, so that you would control your power better..."

"You mean that I've only been using a fraction of my true power?" He asked, amazed at the idea of his true potential.

"That's... Correct" Mugetsu confessed. "However, know that once you release the beast, there will be no turning back. A power like yours will most likely be traced and, eventually, despised by the higher ups in Soul Society. Even if you defeated the Demons, you would be putting Hueco Mundo at risk once again"

"It's _that_ serious? Damn..." Ichigo felt that it wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Yes. Otherwise we wouldn't have done this in the first place" He clarified. "However, we're not gonna risk your or Nel's life, I promise. If things go south... We won't hesitate to release your true power, and your _Segunda Etapa_ along with it"

"I feel better hearing that" He smiled. "Could you tell me what kind of powers do I have in that state, though?"

"Hm... Nah. It's better if you see for yourself" Mugetsu declined.

"Whatever then... See you guys at other time" He said goodbye.

"Sure. Good luck, Kingy"

He opened his eyes and saw the white walls.

"I should get some sleep... Tomorrow's gonna be a difficult day"

He closed them again, thinking that Nel would return whenever she was done.

"~Ichi~" He heard her melodic voice. "Take a look at this!"

"Nel...? Where were...? Ungh!" His nose bled as soon as he saw her.

"Who do I look like?" She crossed her arms right below her massive breasts, which showed almost the whole lower half of them, while the rest of the jacket went up to her mouth.

"Harribel... I guess...? Why are you wearing that?" He covered his nose, as his eyes were still directed at her mountains.

"I thought you would like it... Was I wrong?" She innocently asked, though her seductive pose and the locked door behind her indicated that she got the exact reaction she wanted.

"Heh... Of course not" He chuckled. "I guess you wanted to distract me, like you always do" He deduced.

"Is it working?" She got on the bed and crawled up to him.

"Totally" He bent over her and kissed her like it was the last time.

He hadn't realized until that moment, but it was true. They didn't know how powerful their enemy truly was. They didn't know if everything would be solved by risking their lives. They didn't know if they would return alive.

This could be the last time that they held each other.

As soon as he thought about that, a sudden sadness washed over him.

"Hey, Nel..." He stopped for a moment, his look giving away that something was wrong.

"Let me guess... You are afraid" She could feel it as well. "I know. I am too..."

"Last time... We said we would either return together or die trying, right?" He recalled their vow before the attack on Hueco Mundo.

"Right" She remembered as well. "In fact... I was being a bit selfish when I said that, now that I think about it"

"Why?"

"Cause you are far stronger than I am, Ichigo" She replied. "If anyone could possibly die... It could only be me" She smiled sadly. "And it would be so unfair to force you to go with me to the afterlife... While denying you the rest of a wholesome life you could share along someone else..."

"Don't say that... There's no one else I could share my life with" He caressed her face. "If you die, Nel... I promise... I'm gonna find you in whatever form you reincarnate, and I'll make you fall in love with me again"

"How sweet..." She giggled. "But... I won't be able to see you if I'm a human"

"Then I'll simply go back to being a human" He refuted. "Nel... I'd do anything and more... Just for you"

"Oh, Ichigo!" She cried as she embraced him tightly and connected her mouth to his. "How could I even die... After hearing such thing...?"

"And then again... Do you really think I would let you die? I'll protect you at any cost, as many times as necessary" He kissed her softly in the cheek. "So don't say something so lonely again... We are one, Nel. We are Whole"

"I know... Sorry for saying such things" She apologized. "What foolish girl would ever doubt her King?"

"I believe only the Queen has the right to do that... You better prove me that, otherwise I'll have to imprison you" He played along.

"Oh, please don't, my King! I don't have anything that proves it but... I can pay with my body..."

"Is that so?"

"Of course. I risked myself by coming here in these clothes... Only for you to enjoy yourself to your heart's content" She pressed her breasts against each other. "I'm not wearing anything under... Not here..." She displayed her top. "Not down there..."

"We'll see about that..." He grinned as he massaged her jugs under the Espada jacket, feeling how her flesh reacted to his touch and hearing her moans of pleasure like a symphony of the night.

"Ah... Ichi..." She kissed him in the wild way she loved most, biting his lips and receiving bites in reply as well.

The cuddles got more and more intense, bathing the two in sweat as their clothes started disappearing, and Nel didn't lie. Under Harribel's uniform, she was going commando.

Ichigo became one with her once again, making sure that the two enjoyed each instant the most.

He gave her all the pleasure she wanted, be it soft or rough and she did the same.

Knowing her though, she wouldn't be happy until her ass and breasts burned with exquisite dolour. Ichigo was used to it by now, and while he did not enjoy hitting her, he did rejoice with her squeals of delight.

"Ahhh! Iiii-chiii-go!!!" She screamed with tears in her eyes on top of his muscular body, her saliva falling from her sharp teeth and making a mess like some kind of love juice.

"Nel...! Oh, fuck..." He made a huge effort not to come before her. "What kind of man would I be?" He thought. "It's my job... My will...! To make you happy, Nelliel!"

"Fuck me, Ichi..." She panted. "Fuck me over and over... So I can forget how it feels when you're not inside me!"

"That's gonna be a problem..." He panted, changing the cowgirl position into misionary.

"Huh? Why?" She asked confused.

"Cause I don't know how to do such a meaningless act" He replied, his face on top of hers. "All I know..." He entangled his horn with one of hers. "...Is how to make love to you, Nel"

She took a deep breath before sealing the longest kiss they had shared until that point.

"~Mmmhhh!~"

The last thing she wanted was separate her mouth from his. She wished that their bodies could merge into one forever, in a bond that went even deeper than their Whole Link. They both knew such thing was impossible, but in that specific moment, their beings were as close as they could possibly be.

"Ahh! Ahh! Ahhhhh!" She came a first time, right there, Ichigo pounding her as he held her hand and leaned over her soft leg.

Later...

"Nel!"

"Ichiii!"

The second time, Ichigo had her in doggystyle, stimulating her breasts as the two came.

...And a while after:

"IIICHIIGOOO!" Her eyes were put out of orbit as she came for a third time, now in cowgirl, and she was starting to lose consciousness.

Her tongue hanged from her mouth, drooling as she made a mad expression Ichigo had never given her before, forcing his body to give her more.

"Tonight... We'll lose ourselves, Nel" Ichigo assured her as he kissed her again.

"Yes, Ichigo! Make me a part of you!" She yelled. "Kill me... And devour me whole..." She thought with a dark expression unlike her present self. "That's the only way, we can be together forever...!"

She slowly scratched Ichigo's back as she engulfed his mouth with voracity, coming for the fourth and second time respectively, and the last for both, as well.

Holding each other in an unbreakable embrace, they gave every ounce of their energy to pleasure their loved one.

"MMMMHHHHHH!" The two moaned inside the other's mouth, their Whole shining brightly with the color of the other's Reiatsu.

When it stopped its bright, they opened their eyes again, smiling as they saw what they loved most in the whole universe.

"I love you... Ichigo..." She panted for a last time, passing out as she passionately held his head between her hands. "I... Love..."

"*pant* *pant* And I love you... Nel..." He cautiously disconnected, and carefully left her under the bed covers.

The night seemed to smile, happy to see that its children were finally achieving their true purpose.

"Good night... My love... My life..." He embraced her and kissed her cheek, falling asleep himself with their feelings being the only thing on his dreams, and surely, on hers as well.

~~~~X~~~~

**And here's a more unconventional Chapter. I won't lie, it has a lot of sexual activity but, like always, focusing on the most important thing: Love.**

**Aside from that, Orihime is finally an Arrancar, and next Chapter we start with the fights once again.**

**Going back to the previous stuff, I have no idea how many times did I write kiss in this Chapter, but honestly, I have no regrets. I don't know, but at least for me, the kiss is the most simple yet effective demonstration of love in human beings. And then, I must confess... That I have never kissed anyone myself, or being in a real relationship either. I don't know if my inexperience in the field shows in the things I write or not... But at least I have different sources of inspiration to help me with that.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _another most excellent chapter! And oh? Do my eyes deceive me?! You're using the Invading Army arc?! Awesome! I look forward to seeing what shall occur. Especially as Kon is a lot more serious than he is normally. That, along with his similar "relation" to Nozomi. Both in canon and hopefully here! In any case, I also enjoyed how you had both Nel and Halibel bond a bit and then bring in the ominous foreboding from Hell. And that V...just what is he?! I've a REALLY bad feeling._**

**_In any case, update again when you can. I'm looking forward to what's next!_**

**_P.S. I also recently got Summer Neliel in Bleach Brave Souls! I was SOOO happy! Too bad I couldn't get Christmas Nel though... I still need her and Parasol Nel._**

**Reply: Yeah, I think it was a pretty decent filler so I'm gonna go ahead and exploit it myself.** **V for sure is the most wicked Demon and he/she/it/they plays a major role in this part and the one that follows. I gotta say, things are only gonna get DARK with that thing.**

**I didn't get a single Nel on BBS by luck, so I just bought Parasol Nel and called it a day. I regret nothing... I see this as an absolute win! I also missed her Christmas version, so I'm missing that one along with Valentine's and old Speed Nel to have them all.**

**See you all next Chapter! Evhron out... Unloved ****And** **Oxidized.**


	30. Sea Of Lies

Next morning, everyone was reunited at the infernal gate,with the exception of Orihime, who didn't want to worry anyone with her sudden change.

"So, Kurosaki-san, who's gonna be in charge?" Urahara asked.

"Nageki. Why?" Ichigo asked in reply.

"Cause I need him to do a little something" The man got a small antenna with a red tip out of his pocket. "Nageki-san, could you please put this somewhere inside the grounds? If possible, in a place that you can easily check"

"Sure, Urahara-san" The Arrancar agreed.

"What does that do, Urahara-san?" Harribel inquired.

"Oh, nothing much. It's just a checkpoint in case some friends want to join us" He simply replied, not revealing who would it be. "We can't wait any longer, so they'll have to get there on their own"

"I see. We'll gladly show them the way" Nageki said.

"Thank you"

Grimmjow eagerly gazed at the ominous entrance.

"So... This is it" He braced himself. "It's payback time!"

"Yes" Harribel agreed. "All the suffering they dealt this world will have its well-deserved retribution"

"Though we mustn't be blinded with those thoughts" Nel added. "But we won't let them get away with anything. We'll do justice"

"Well said" Ichigo agreed. "We must keep our cool and act cautiously. There's no need to lose our heads over what's already lost, but whenever you need more strength, you will remember all those things we set aside and let them fill our hearts. That's a given" He concluded.

Everyone nodded accordingly.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Hiyori inquired. "Let's kick some ass!"

"Not too fast, Hiyori" Yoruichi replied. "Let's check the basics one last time"

"Right" Urahara nodded. "They will clearly separate us so that we have no other option but to fight, so we'll both support Kuchiki-san and Abarai-san with whoever gets in their way..." He said.

"And I'll lend a hand to Grimmjow and Harribel. It will be fun, since we never really fought together" Gin recalled. He had an attire that looked the same as the one he used to wear under Aizen's command, perfectly hiding his Zanpakutou.

"Oi, I know you were strong back then... But are you sure you're up to the task now? I mean... We both know _Segunda Etapa_" Grimmjow told him.

"I appreciate that you worry about me, but rest assured: I will not lose" The last part was said in a serious way, strange in him.

"Well, continuing" Love said. "We four fight together once again, so there shouldn't be a problem..."

"And we three go straight for Yama's head" Ichigo declared along Nel and Ulquiorra. "Though it's clearly not gonna be as simple as it sounds. Most likely, we'll find that sadow creep along the way" Ichigo remembered Kurokage with a hateful expression.

"If that's the case, do your best" Urahara replied. "But don't waste energy in that. Wait for me to arrive and I'll take care of it"

"You have a way to deal with him? Even with his ability?" Ulquiorra asked surprised.

"I've been working on something for a while, though I don't know if it's gonna be the solution" He clarified. "Still, it's worth the try"

"That means we cannot waste even a second against whoever appears in our path" Rukia commented. "Otherwise, we'll be complicating them"

"Don't worry about that, Rukia-san" Nel replied. "We will endure for as long as needed. Please don't risk yourself unnecesarily for trying to help us"

"That's true" Renji agreed. "There won't be a point in all this if one of us dies"

"Right. Sorry for saying something so careless" Rukia apologized.

"It doesn't matter, Rukia" Ichigo smiled at her. "Everyone has to do their best. That's all you have to worry about, and this applies to the ones who stay here as well" He looked forward and staryed walking. "Let's do it"

"Yes!" Everyone present agreed.

He was about to cross the gate when he wast stopped.

"Wait, Ichigo!" It was Nageki.

"What's wrong?"

"It's about the Heart. Are you sure that you want to leave it in my care?"

"You guarded it for ages, I can't see why not" Ichigo said in reply. "Unless you feel troubled for some reason..."

"No, not really... I designed the black box for that reason, but... Being the objective of Yama, I imagine that he already foresaw this"

"If it's really that way... Then I'll have to stop him before he gets the chance" Ichigo assured.

"Oh, and..." Nageki remembered something important. "You see..."

"Is there something else?"

Nageki looked worried as he tried to find the right words, glancing at a cheerful smiling Nelliel in the background.

"Maybe it's all just my imagination..." He finally thought, discarding his previous idea. "Good luck. Do your best! Haha..."

"Thanks, I guess..." Ichigo replied, though the way in which Nageki said it seemed strange. Like there was something more important he decided not to tell. "Now for real, let's go"

The alliance went through the Kimon without any second thoughts. They had an objective, they had a plan and they had the strength. There was no reason to hesitate at this point.

They came out on the other side, standing in a red rocky platform that had different paths, each with a Kanji that showed the element of the enemy they would face.

"It is most definitely a trap" Urahara said. "Otherwise, they wouldn't make it so easy for us"

"But in this situation, we don't have much of a choice" Yoruichi replied.

"Exactly" Ichigo agreed. "The best we can do is beat them in their own game"

"Our path is clear then" Ulquiorra said. "Yama's element is Aether"

"Should we go right away?" Nel asked.

"It is the deepest part of Jigoku" Ulquiorra replied.

"So we better start moving" Nel understood. "Are you ready, Ichigo?"

"Yes. I'm ready to end this, once and for all" He said determined. "All the sacrifices we've made... All the corpses we carry... Are not something to take lightly. We... must take responsibility, and I over everyone else"

He once again was feeling a heavy weight constantly on top of him, though at least he had managed to sleep well after Nel's efforts.

"That might be true, but don't feel forced to solve everything in a single fight, Kurosaki-san" Urahara stopped him for a bit. "For what I've heard, the Demons have been planning this from before the existence of anything we know, actually. Even if they make a mistake, I doubt they don't have countermeasures, so don't be too hard on yourself if things turn out to be more complicated. If we fail, we can regroup and try again. There's no reason to take unnecessary risks, okay? And this goes to everyone"

"Yes..." Ichigo agreed, a bit doubtful, as he always risked himself for the sake lf everyone else.

"I know that you feel responsible for the deaths of those Arrancar, and probably of the Demons we killed before too, and it's understandable. You're not a mere Substitute Shinigami anymore. You're the King of Hueco Mundo" Urahara continued. "In spite of that, you're not alone. Everyone here is strong enough to support you, so please, believe in us" He put his hand on Ichigo's shoulder.

"I understand" Ichigo smiled, feeling calmer. "All I'm gonna ask... Is that you all return safely. I promise to do so myself if you can assure me that much"

"Sure" Renji replied. "I'll show you that all that sparring with Grimmjow wasn't child's play"

"Hmph..." Grimmjow chuckled a bit with his arms crossed.

"And I control my Bankai a tad better as well" Rukia added.

"We trained our _Segunda Etapa_ to the fullest" Harribel spoke for her and Grimmjow. "So you can rest assured"

"We all learned a lot from our previous fights, and have designed quite a few combos to deal with these monsters" Love told him as the other Vizards nodded in agreement.

"We will do everything in our power... Which is something none of you have seen anyways" Yoruichi smirked, boasting about her and Urahara's potential.

"I... Became a Whole, and mastered my _Etapa Final_" Ulquiorra declared, proudly showing the golden-yellow mark on his Hollow Hole. "I don't intend to be accepted as a friend, but I do hope you can trust me as an ally"

"And finally... I..." Nel muttered. "I continued surpassing my own limits, in hope of being worthy of fighting by your side, Ichigo. There's no need for you to contain yourself anymore. My scars have healed..." She spoke of both her emotional and physical wounds. "...And I am ready to face anything that could take you away from me"

"Nel..." He sweetly smiled at her, to which she instantly replied by wrapping her arms around him.

"I love you, Ichigo, and I will do anything in order to protect you" She kissed him for a couple seconds, feeling a soothing warmth in her Whole Link, reflected in Ichigo as well.

"There you have it" Urahara finished. "There's no way in Hell any of us dies. Do your best, and so will we. That's all you need to know"

"I can see that" He replied, feeling a lot better. "Thank you. Now I can turn my back knowing that everything will be okay" He entered the path of the Aether without having a single doubt in his heart.

Ulquiorra and Nelliel followed him without another word, though she gave them all a final nod with a smile before leaving them.

"Ichigo really won the lottery with that girl, didn't he?" Yoruichi commented. "Ever since I met her, I've never seen her heart wavering _once_ when it's about him"

"Tch... Tell me about it..." Hiyori spat. "It's her fault that Lisa started writing some ero-themed Light Novel about-"

"Sh-Shut up..." Lisa covered her friend's mouth. "More importantly... Where will everyone go for each fight?"

"Good question, but I already have the feeling that we'd do better in that path" Rukia pointed the water trail, which went to the depths of Jigoku, but surrounding the main abyss. "At the very least, I'll handle better with a water enemy"

"If I'm not mistaken, that would be the wielder of _Leviatha__n_" Urahara said. "Not much is known about the weapon, and Ulquiorra said that he never saw it in action, but the beast that gives its name is known for having dominated the seas in ancient times. Maybe it would make an interesting opponent"

"Now that I think about it... Didn't we fight a Duke that was born directly of a Prince?" Hachigen remembered Hoji, the 6th Duke.

"Yeah, that brutally strong Demon..." Love recalled. "I believe he said something about some Kachiki-sama"

"Ulquiorra said he was the strongest one, I believe" Harribel commented. "Back when we planned the assault, he told us the names, as well as their basic abilities. That one controls two elements, Earth and Fire"

They all had a little flashback to their strategy meeting:

_"The three Princes have weapons that hold the spirits and power of three Ancient Beasts that used to rule the Earth before mankind. Leviathan in the seas, Behemoth in the land and Ziz in the skies. Said Beasts were only controlled by Angels in the past, but those Angels decided to follow Yama's steps, falling into the darkness of Jigoku, and becoming some of the first Oni, denominated Majin.The most powerful one is by far Kachiki, wielder of Behemoth, as he has control over both Earth and Fire. Mizuwari only has water and Kazenawa, obviously, the wind"_

"If that's the case, we should finish what we started" Hiyori deduced.

"Are you sure, Hiyori?" Hachi asked her, a bit unsure.

"Yeah. Last time, we merely got through cause we had never used the skills we developed in battle. Now, we have the experience and means to go all out. We got better at our full Hollow transformation and, even in case we become Hollowfied..." She got serious. "...I don't know about you, but I'd have no regrets. Ichigo can turn us into Arrancar and we go from there. But something is clear, I won't be hating myself later cause I didn't do everything in my power to win"

"Does anyone object against Hiyori's proposal?"

The other Vizards shook their heads.

"Then it's decided. We shall face the strongest of the Princes..." Love sighed.

"Hey, you don't really have to" Grimmjow refuted. "If it bothers you, leave it to us. For me, the stronger an enemy is, the better"

"Sorry, kitty but we'll be taking the big prize!" Hiyori mocked him.

"Oh, really?!" He grinned angrily as he contained his urge to punch her. "Well, it looks like kids these days are really greedy, aren't they?"

The two were face to face, looking at each other with a defiant look, ready to beat the other to a pulp.

"Enough you idiots!" Yoruichi punched them in the head. "Leave that for the actual enemy"

"Tsk...! I get it..." He murmured pissed.

"One day you'll see..." Hiyori menaced. "Let's not waste any more time, let's go!"

"Wait, Hiyori... I think we are forgetting something" Lisa stopped her.

"And what would that be?" The girl asked obliviously.

"What happens if we come across the missing Duke" She reminded. "You know, the one that ran away"

Once again, they took another look back into Ulquiorra's description:

_"Ah... So you met V... Well, there's not much I can say about it to be honest. All I know is that it's a being that doesn't breathe, speak or show signs of being a conventional lifeform. All it does is feed from other Reiryoku-based beings, and deploy clones of it like there's no tomorrow. While they can be dissolved and disintegrated, if you were to do this to the actual Duke, another clone would take its place, receiving the tattoo and advanced abilities. No one knows what that thing is for certain, with the exception of Yama, of course, but it's certainly a troublesome being and one you should try to avoid at all cost"_

"If we encounter that thing, I doubt we'll have any chance of beating it" Lisa said with a hint of fear.

"Oi, you didn't think about anything that can help us deal with that thing?!" Hiyori spat at Urahara.

"Sorry, sorry... But unfortunately, yours' and Ulquiorra's description is not nearly enough for me to work on something, so you're on your own" He raised his shoulders in sign of ignorance.

"Tch... As useless as ever I see" She spouted. "Guess all we can do is pray that we don't come across it"

"And if we do, it might be better just to run away" Love declared. "There's no point in fighting it, that's for sure"

"Right. For now, let's just hope that doesn't happen" Lisa agreed.

"With that out of the way, we should get going" Hiyori concluded, walking towards the Earth and Fire path.

"Alright. Take care, everyone" Lisa bid them farewell.

"Yeah, good luck" Love said, raising his hand and following the two girls.

"W-Wait up...!" Hachigen clumsily followed.

With the Vizards gone, the two remaining groups decided to go to their respective battles as well.

"So, you'll be heading for the water Prince, right?" Gin asked them.

"It looks like it" Renji nodded. "Our powers should do well against that Demon"

"Then we'll take care of the wind bastard" Grimmjow replied.

"We will be rooting for you" Urahara told them. "Too bad that I won't be able to witness your abilities, Ichimaru-san"

"Oh, they're nothing out of the ordinary, I swear" He giggled. "But that's gonna be all it takes to finish it..."

"In any case, we should start moving now. We'll make a strategy on the way there" Harribel assured.

"Sure, we'll be doing the same on our end" Yoruichi replied in a friendly way. "Once this is all over we could go have a drink, what do you say?"

"A... Drink? As in... Alcohol...?" Nel had told her about it.

"Yeah, you're always so serious and uptight. You should hang with us sometime!" She put an arm around her. "Nel had a blast when we did a girls evening a couple weeks ago"

"I'll... Think about it..." Harribel seemed flustered. "Now... I'm sorry, but I can't allow myself to be distracted"

"I understand. Do your best" She left her.

"Yeah..." She nodded. "Well, I'm not a Queen anymore... Maybe I could try being a normal girl once we're done here" She thought.

"Shall we go, then?" Gin smiled, walking to the Wind trail.

"Yeah, let's wreck 'em up!" Grimmjow braced himself for a real battle, readying his muscles.

"See you all later" Harribel bowed politely a bit and left.

The four remaining, all Shinigami, decided to start their journey into the Water Prince's lair, which was actually a princess.

"Who are we fighting? I think Ulquiorra mentioned it but..." Renji asked as they advanced.

"Don't worry. I think the name was Mizuwari, a sea-snake humanoid that apparently is a female" Urahara replied. "I'm quite interested in knowing just what we're going to find"

"You're not expecting her to be a gorgeous woman you can drool to, eh Kisuke?" Yoruichi teased.

"Of course not, Yoruichi-san" He chuckled. "With you I've got more than enough"

"Eh...? Don't tell me you two...!" Rukia blushed as soon as she realized the closeness between the two renegade Shinigami.

"Kisuke is... Just playing around!" Yoruichi replied, dismissing such a 'silly' idea.

"Eh? No, I'm not..." He denied. "Actually... You're the only woman I care about. At least in that way, Yoruichi-san" He looked at her in a way that a mature husband would behold his wife.

"Yeah, right..." She chuckled nervously.

"But I'm serious, Yoruichi-san! I thought it was obvious after all the time we've been together..."

"Now call it off, Kisuke! You're making me really uncomfortable..."

"Why? Because I'm showing my feelings for you in front of other people?" He digressed. "I'm sorry, but I just can't help myself. I love everything about you: Your figure, your dark skin, your dazzling yellow eyes, your free way of life, mischievous yet playful nature..."

"W-What...? What are you...?" Yoruichi blushed, getting all nervous. "Do you really???"

"We might not be married but... You're the closest thing to a wife I have, and you are most certainly the only partner I could wish to have in this and any other life..." He held her hand gently.

"Kisuke..." She muttered his name in a delicate tone, falling for him.

Yoruichi was never the sentimental type, but Urahara's words seemed so serious that she couldn't take it all so lightly anymore.

The fact that Urahara was her childhood friend as well as her first love did not help at all.

Rukia and Renji stared amused as they witnessed a side in the Shunpo Master probably a handful had ever seen.

"Pfffft... Ahahahahaha! That was so funny..." Urahara laughed. "You wanted to tease me, so I just played along but... Damn, you fell for it completely!"

"Eh...?" A drop appeared on her head as she realized her defeat.

"I never thought this would happen actually... After all, you always said that the mere idea of marriage made you vomit, as being tied to a single person all your life didn't suit you. I didn't have a problem with that, even when we were going out so, I just let it be. I had no idea that you still held such strong feelings for me... I was beginning to feel like a toy in fact, only useful when you wanted to play... Oh well, it makes me happy to see that I'm still someone special in your heart" Urahara said delighted.

"Hrngh..." Yoruichi growled, pissed off beyond repair as she realized it was all a farse. "Kisukeeeee!"

The woman punched him in the head with full force, making a large bump that grew in seconds.

"Owowow..." Urahara agonized. "Why? I just followed your little game..."

"You went too far, that's why" She coldly replied, crossing her arms as she continued the path. "That idiot..."

They kept moving forward, not looking back.

The path seemed to go really deep, but in the end, it didn't get to the Throne Room. They arrived at a mass of fierce waters surrounding the entrance to the real abyss.

It was a dark blue sea of constant crashing waves and whirlpools. There was, however, a bridge-like path that went through the middle of the waters and lead into a large temple, inviting them.

"Looks like we arrived" Renji commented.

"Inside that structure must be the wielder of _Leviathan_" Urahara added.

"What are we waiting for? Let's finish this so you can go help Ichigo with the Shadow Demon" Yoruichi said in reply. She still seemed a bit pissed.

As soon as they set foot in the stone bridge, two giant waves formed on both sides, menacing to slam them into nothingness.

They all noticed that immediately and quick-stepped as fast as they could into the palace.

Yoruichi got first, followed by Urahara, Rukia and finally Renji, who entered just in time before the waves destroyed the bridge.

"Shit... That was a close one" Renji panted.

"We should've known it was a trap..." Rukia said.

"Still, the true battle hasn't even began" Urahara said as he walked further inside the temple.

They all followed into what seemed to be the main chamber.

Inside, there were statues of various mythological beings that were related to water: Selkie, Kelpie, Scylla, Charybdis, Pegasus, Bellerofon, Triton and, of course, Poseidon.

"These Demons have better taste than I thought" Rukia pointed out. "Though my brother clearly surpasses their artistic sense" She proudly concluded, remembering the breathtaking image of Ambassador Seaweed.

"Whatever you say, Rukia..." Renji chuckled, knowing about it first-hand.

Once they entered the final room, they encountered a more shocking sight.

"What the...?" Renji muttered as they witnessed a great amount of randomly placed statues.

Some seemed to be Arrancar, a couple humans and other had Soul Reaper clothes.

They had two things in common: All of them seemed to be good-looking and all of them were either screaming or in a state of shock.

"My... I hadn't noticed that I had guests" A woman spoke, echoing in the room.

Despite there being a throne in the back of the chamber, it was apparently empty, so she had to be lurking somewhere else in the room.

"We don't have much time" Rukia said pissed. "Show yourself!"

The Princess of water slithered to her throne from one of the dark corners.

"What a party crasher... That's why I prefare males... ~fufufu~" The Demon laughed. "Though I have no trouble fooling around with females either, it depends on the day..." She maliciously licked her lips. "I, Mizuwari, welcome you to the temple of Leviathan"

Her lower body was completely like a snake's, having beautiful scales of different tones of blue. She also had pale blue-ish skin and a really well-developed chest, probably comparable to Rangiku's, which she proudly displayed with a dress of the same tone as the deep blue gem that was in her collar. She also happened to show off a mane of curly orange hair, vivid yellow eyes and lips with an electric blue makeup lipstick.

"You seem to be quite carefree, considering the fact that we're gonna kill you" Yoruichi said.

"Oh dear... If only you knew how many times I've heard words like those" She replied. "You're not the first to enter Jigoku in an intent to defy Yama-sama. The most common thing, however, is to find powerful prisoners who get tired of being punished and try to abolish the system... To no avail, of course"

"Look, don't act like you don't know what you're doing" Rukia refuted. "The past is one thing, but right now, you are attacking other worlds in order to get the power to conquer Takemagahara"

"Oh... You've been doing your homework, I see" She got up from her throne. "Then I guess there is nothing left for us to discuss..."

"Don't lower your guard" Urahara whispered to all, making them use Shikai just in time.

Mizuwari disappeared from their sight in less than a second, at the same time as pressurized water lances and shots attacked them from every possible angle.

"Dammit!" Renji cursed, evading the water with difficulty, since some of the attacks managed to cut him a bit.

Rukia on her end, was freezing everything that attempted to touch her, but even then, there were so many attacks in so little time that she needed a lot of concentration to be able to protect herself flawlessly.

"Tch... Yoruichi-san, could you...?" Urahara asked his friend.

"I'll do it, but don't you dare activate _that thing!"_

"Okay, okay..." Urahara replied, elegantly dodging a torrent of water. "As long as we're not in danger, of course..." He crossed his fingers.

Yoruichi didn't even throw away her clothes as she activated her special ability.

_"Shunkou: **Raijin Senkei!**"_The electric God's drums formed on her back and her bangs rose to form horns, as a tremendous amount of Reiatsu was released in the temple.

"Is this... Yoruichi-san...?" Rukia wondered in disbelief.

"Holy..." Renji felt the same.

In a flash, Yoruichi grinned as she caught up to the speed of the Princess. She was really quick, but nowhere near the Shunpo Goddess.

"What?" Mizuwari muttered to herself as she saw Yoruichi passing by her side.

"Time for some grilled Unagi!" She replied, grinning as she punched the Demon with a paralyzing surge of electricity.

Mizuwari was sent flying backwards and easily crashed into one of the temple's walls, hissing in pain.

"Tssssss!!!" Her proud look was completely disfigured by Yoruichi's assault. "You... Whore...!"

"Ahahahaha!" She proudly laughed at the Demon. "Is that all you got? Man, and here we were squishing our brains out to find a way to beat you all..."

"Oh, you'll see! I never thought you would leave me no other choice but to release it... But here goes! I'll enjoy seeing your faces of despair as you join my collection!" She broke free from the wall and threw a large torrent of water in all directions, preventing Yoruichi from stopping her.

"Fuck!" She cursed, unable to pass without taking serious damage. "I can't risk myself to make such a sacrifice in vain" She thought.

"Enrage the seas... **_Leviathan_**_!"_

And the _Majinbuki_ was activated.

The temple reacted to the weapon's release, and an abysmal sound deafened the four Shinigami.

"What is that?!" Rukia asked worried as they regrouped.

"It sounds like... The seas are rising" Urahara replied. "And we along with them"

And just like he predicted, the roof of the temple crumbled as the temple floated above the dark sea of monstrous currents and waves.

"Mwahahahahahaha!" Mizuwari laughed, now with a distorted sissing voice. "Ssso... Are you ready to drown in dessspair?!"

She had turned into a complete monster. A bestial reptilian creature of gigantic proportions was upon them. Her tail had grown to a size of 20 meters, and was as wide as an old tree-trunk. Her scales now had green and aquamarine tones as well, and her upper body was naked, but not alluring in any way, and had the blue stone that was in her collar embedded in the center of her chest. She was holding a giant golden trident in one of her abnormal muscular arms. The most prominent change though, was how her beautiful hair had changed into a living mess of red snakes that threatened to attack them.

"I might be wrong..." Urahara started. "...But I think she will turn us into stone as soon as we stare directly into her eyes"

"No way! Like... That Greek legend?" Rukia asked back.

"I think so, otherwise, those poor statues over there wouldn't exist in the first place"

"_Diluvium!" _The serpent attacked.

Cyclones of water fell from the sky, pursuing each of the four around the crumbling temple.

"So this is the real power of a Prince of Hell..." Yoruichi thought.

"Bankai_: So-Oh Zabimaru!"_ Renji decided to go all out, helped by a large monkey's arm to escape the attacks.

"_Aquariusss!" _Mizuwari said as she directed the trident at them, shooting waves of pressurized water.

Urahara cut the waves in pieces with _Benihime_, while Rukia froze them with _Sode no Shirayuki_.

Yoruichi simply evaded everything thanks to her godspeed ability. She was like a lightning as she moved through the temple.

"Over here!" She teased Mizuwari as she kicked her in the face, electrifying some of her snakes.

"RRRAAAGGGHHHH!!!" She screamed in pain, crumbling in the temple. "I'll make you pay! You ssslut!"

Mizuwari fought back, trying to hit Yoruichi with her tail as she threw more waves at her.

"Why?!" Leviathan screamed. "Why are they so happy?! Why are they so pretty?! While I rot in this Hell with this mortal glare!!!"

A disgusting dark aura started emanating from the Demon's body.

Suddenly, Renji felt a great rage emanating from the deepest parts of his heart.

"_Hihioh! Orochioh! Hihioh!" _He attacked relentlessly, losing his mind.

On the other end, Rukia was feeling really blue, to the point her body was heavy and her mind had lost all will to fight.

"What...? What's going on?" She muttered as tears escaped her eyes.

Yoruichi on her part, became suddenly afraid, to the point in which she stopped moving.

"Why? Move... Move...! MOVE!" She screamed, but her limbs would not respond and her mind couldn't think clearly.

"Now you're mine!" Mizuwari spouted triumphantly. "_Gorgon Eye!"_

A beam of white light was shot from Mizuwari's eyes directly to Yoruichi.

The cat-woman saw her life flashing before her as the light threatened to turn her into lifeless stone.

The sound of metal, woke her up from her vision.

"Ki... Kisuke...!" She managed to murmur as she saw the man who saved her.

"What? Why are you not affected by the _Majin Aura_?!"

"So that's what you call this... I thought it was strange how I suddenly felt so much disgust for your kind..." Urahara carelessly muttered. "Or maybe I was feeling that way ever since Yadomaru-san told me how she felt an inexplicable darkness rising inside of her. Manipulating other's feelings is most certainly awful, but amplifying the darkness inside of their hearts, for as little as it is... Yeah, it makes me wanna destroy you!" Urahara slashed his way to Mizuwari, not wasting any time as he thought the fastest way to obtain victory. "I'm sorry, Yoruichi-san, but I'm gonna need your other self for a bit"

~~~~X~~~~

"This is the old entrance to the Throne of Jigoku" Ulquiorra explained as they were in front of a colossal metal gate with unknown runes carved in it. "Yama's lair is just ahead"

"Great. I find strange that no Demons were blocking our path, however" Ichigo commented.

"Maybe we killed them all in Hueco Mundo" Nel replied innocently.

"No, Ichigo is right" Ulquiorra denied. "The Reiatsu of the personal army of each Prince is missing, as well as Yama's Guard. Something is weird"

From the gate's shadow, a presence rose in the blink of an eye, kicking Nel and Ulquiorra behind the gate as it closed, impenetrable.

"Ichigo!" Nel and Ulquiorra yelled from the other side.

Kurokage clashed his blade against the Hollow King, preventing him from letting his Espadas support him.

"What did you do to them?!"

"Don't worry, they're safe there..." The plague-mask Demon replied. "I told you last time, I want _your _head. I'll kill them as soon as I finish with you, so you should be grateful that I'm sparing them for a bit"

"You piece of shit!" Ichigo insulted as he remembered the way in which he killed the Arrancar village. "Why did you have to do that? You could've just attacked me!"

"Why? Because it's fun. For us, you're nothing, not insects, not trash... Your lives are not even worth naming, yet you proudly do so. If you only considered how ephemereal your existence is, you would probably get a notion of this"

"I don't give a shit about what an empty being like you thinks" Ichigo replied. "All I know is that I'm done giving chances to enemies of your kind. You will pay for everything you've done, with your blood!" Ichigo blasted a black and red _Cero_ from his finger at Kurokage. "Void... _**Las Noches**!"_

~~~~X~~~~

Urahara grinned as the giant princess slashed the Demon relentlessly.

"YEEEAAARRGHHH!" She screamed loudly, as Urahara had guided her syraight into Renji's berzerk attacks.

"How do you like that, Mizuwari?! Is my _Benihime_ playing to rough with you? Or maybe Abarai-san is? In any case, this should serve as an example as to why it is a bad idea to get the worst of a person out during a battle" Urahara coldly stated, enjoying the way in which the giant monster had to 'dance' in order to escape death.

"Hissssss...! You... Mortal Sssoul!" Mizuwari screamed. "Don't think you are ssso high and mighty becaussse you overcame your own darknesss. Thisss battle isss far from over!"

The water Majin attacked Benihime with her trident. Mizuwari was stronger, but even so, the attacks had left her tired and out of focus.

In a desperate intent to win, the Demon decided to use her strongest attack.

"_Capsssizsing The Sseasss..._" She hit the ground strongly with _Leviathan_.

The waters around them started rising again, but instead of elevating the temple, they started engulfing it.

"This is bad..." Urahara instantly noticed.

"Fufufufuf... Ahahahahahaha!" Mizuwari laughed madly. "You'll be drowning in the flood in the nexsst minute! There'sss no way you can posssibly save yourssselvesss, and if you think I'm done, think again!" She pointed her trident at the sky. "**_In Wavesss!"_**

From every direction, a monstrous mass of water was rising, attempting to end their lives in a single second when the moment came.

"I see..." Urahara muttered, pulling his hat down, shadowing his eyes.

"Hahaha! Have you given up?!" Mizuwari triumphantly spat.

"Heh... Do you really think that I would dare give up after seeing everything my pupil has done?" He asked mockingly.

"What?!" Mizuwari's face shook, unable to underdtand how that Shinigami could still fight.

"It's true... I might not be his only teacher, and I didn't even try to build a close relationship" Urahara admitted. "But to see that kid growing is a most fascinating thing... And I'm not the only one who thinks so"

"Nyyyaaaahhh!" Neko Yoruichi scratched Mizuwari's body in a flash.

"AAARRGGHHH!"

"We won't be leaving this world behind anytime soon, as we want to keep seeing his accomplishments and enjoying the fact that we taught him all the basics" Urahara knocked out Renji, who was still attacking the air, blinded by rage. "The main reason no one can defeat Kurosaki Ichigo is most certainly his own heart, but the ones who gave him the weapons and training to use that heart..." Urahara ordered Benihime to slash Mizuwari another time. "...Was us"

Urahara released '_Shunkou: Raiju Senkei__: Shunryū Kokubyō Senkei__'_ on Neko Yoruichi.

"Nyah! Nyah! Nyah! Nyaaaahhhh!" The cat woman attacked, frenzied.

"And we'll keep going further to see what kind of world he shows us... What balance Can he bring to this reality? Ahahahaha..." Urahara chuckled just by the fascination that thought gave him. His smile turned into a dead serious face as he finally decided to finish it. "End it, Benihime"

"NOOOOOO!!!" Mizuwari screamed in pain as Yoruichi's cat form and Urahara's Bankai teared her into pieces. "All my beauty... All my being... All my life... Ended when I decided to follow the one who defied the gods" She thought in her final moments. "I'm sorry, Sorayama... In the end, I couldn't protect you for all eternity... But at least... I can assure you... My love... Will never leave you..."

A flashback showed her in her angelic form, taking care of a young God back in Takemagahara. She had blue eyes and hair, and her skin was white as snow.

_She would always console the young God when he was feeling blue, and he called her Mizu-nee as she was always there for him._

_As the God matured, she saw how his heart was tainted by the envy other Gods had of him and the disdain many others shared as he was born from a long banished male God. Even his mother seemed to feel disgusted every time she looked at him as a young adult, as it reminded her of the father._

_Mizu-nee, like always, continued supporting him and swore to always be by his side, to which the God vowed to always love her, be it in the light of the Heavenly Garden... Or in the darkness of The Abyss._

_"I lve you too, Sorayama!" She hugged and kissed him, although such a thing was strictly prohibited._

_"You'll always be with me... Right?"_

_"Always, young Lord..." She bowed, blushing._

_"Good... Cause you see, I'm getting tired of this place..." The God confessed, setting his plan for vengeance in motion._

Back in the present, Mizuwari's roasted reptile body was dissassembled by Urahara's Bankai in uncountable ashes.

"Now... Let's see how we get out of this" Urahara said as he bestowed upon the gigantic tsunami that was about to swallow them.

Rukia woke up from her trance as soon as the life of Mizuwari disappeared, realizing the danger they were in.

"Oh no... Renji! Urahara-san! Youru-"

"We know, and don't worry about him, he's just taking a nap" Urahara said with Renji on his shoulder, while Yoruichi stood in four paws to his side, moving her tail angrily from side to side. "Could you help us, Kuchiki-san?"

Rukia understood what he said immediately, though still afraid of failing.

"I... Need some space" She warned.

"Alright, just make sure you're quick"

Urahara gave her the space as she concentrated in an instant to save them all.

_"Bankai: **Hakka no Togame!**__" _She turned into a white snow princess as she created a giant pilar of snow and ice. "Climb that for now"

"Alright" Urahara nodded, doing as she told him.

Yoruichi, despite being in cat form, understood that what the man was doing was the safest way to proceed.

Rukia stayed in the temple as the waves came.

"Kuchiki-san...! What are you...?"

"Don't worry" She calmly said. "This is just water"

As soon as the waves crashed the giant pilar of ice shook, breaking into pieces.

"Woah!" Urahara exclaimed, falling into the water below, only to be caught in an ice platform that rose from it. "Huh?"

"Nya?" Neko Yoruichi also made a sound of confusion as she fell on the iceberg.

He left Renji in the floor carefully to have a better look. They were floating in the dark waters, on top of a large piece of ice.

Rukia walked to them, slowly recovering her temperature, as she had to go to the absolute zero in order to freeze those waters instantly.

"You did it, Rukia-san!"

"Y-Yeah..." She replied, exhausted and still a bit confused. "What happened... In the middle of the fight? I feel like my mind is blank"

"Something that has me really worried and that might affect our friends" Urahara replied, looking at the uncoscious Renji. "It seems that they are able to get strong negative emotions out of a person, troubling them greatly during a fight of this caliber. I don't know if it's a completely conscious ability or not, but it's something we must take seriously"

"Nya!" Neko Yoruichi jumped on top of Urahara, licking his face happily as she purred on top of him.

"Also... Is that Yoruichi-san?" She asked amused.

"Well, it _is_ Yoruichi, but it's clearly not her usual self" He answered, petting the Neko girl, who happily cuddled with him.

"She really seems to like you in that form" Rukia pointed out.

"Well, maybe she _does_ have something of the normal Yoruichi in her... She just, expresses it in a pretty more blunt way, hahaha!"

"~Nyaaa~" Yoruichi licked his face a bit more.

"In spite of that... I don't like taling advantage of her in this form" Urahara confessed. "Even if she acts this way now, there might be a reason for her not to do so the rest of the time. Yoruichi-san is really proud, so she might never want to admit that she could be happier if she reconsidered some things... But that's her choice in the end"

"Does that have to do with what you said earlier? That bit about marriage" She asked.

"Yeah. We do not hold a formal relationship nowadays, and she never really says how she feels so, it is quite hard knowing what she really wants, you know?" Urahara smiled as he saw how the Neko girl played with the snowflakes that flew on the iceberg. "But if she ever wants to talk about it... I'll be all ears"

Rukia thought about her own relationship with Renji. She realized that she felt something special for him back in their fight with the 4th Duke, Ichika, but she still hadn't thought much about it.

"If by any chance... I loved Renji... Would I want to hide my true feelings like Yoruichi-san?" She thought. "Or would I rather...?" She remembered how Nel carelessly showed her affection towards Ichigo, blushing. "There has to be another way in the middle between those two!"

"Well, I should be going in order to check on Kurosaki-san" Urahara concluded, inflating a special futton for Neko Yoruichi to lay and sleep. "Don't worry about her, she goes to normal after some sleep, and that thing is specially designed to make her do that"

Neko Yoruichi yawned as she laid on the inflatable futton.

"Ah, okay" Rukia nodded. "Please, don't let anything happen to Ichigo"

"Who do you think I am?" He inquired with a confident smile. "I won't lie... I'm reaching my limit, but if my hunch is correct, I'll be able to put an end to that pesky shadow's life"

"Good luck, Urahara-san"

"Same to you, Kuchiki-san"

**After all these years, I finally learned how to put these special lines lol.**

**Sorry if these first Chapters are a bit shorter, but it is that way cause they are fight-based. That means they are slow to write and not much is happening in reality, but I'm doing my best to make it look cool.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Wow! Great chapter! Man oh man! Love galore in this chapter! ''Twas a beauty to read! And I agree with ya. A simple kiss is the most effective way to show your love/passion/desire/etc._**

**_In any case, continue the good work!_**

**_P.S. How much did Parasol Nel cost you? I might buy her myself along with Blue Attribute Nel if I don't get them regularly._**

**Reply: Good to see that you liked it and that you agree with me on that matter**.

**In my country, the 'Choose a Seasonal' Pack costed about 66 Dollars (making the comparison between U$ and my local currency).**

**See you next time! Evhron out.**

**Glosary:**

**_Diluvium: _A flood. Also, an album by Obscura.**


	31. Eye Of The Storm

The three Espada arrived at the end of the road, which seemed to be a dead end. In front of them, only black clouds were in sight, while below, there was a long fall into nothingness.

"It seems like we'll have to skywalk if we want to continue" Gin observed.

"Tch... These assholes don't even finish the roads they lead you into" Grimmjow complained. "How are we supposed to find the Demon?"

"Wait, that looks like... Some kind of... Platform" Harribel pointed out, as a floating structure came into sight.

"Hm? You're right, Harribel-san!" Gin applauded her. "That should be the last trail before we reach our final destination"

"Where in the Hell are we even going?" Grimmjow rudely asked.

"Ulquiorra said that each Prince had a Temple for them to rest, as well as use their Majinbuki to its full extent" Harribel answered.

"Which means that the Wind Temple must be just ahead" Gin added.

The three jumped into the floating object. As they set foot in it, they realized it was a piece of ground and rocks, even having beautiful grass growing in it.

"What is this? It's like a fragment of the very Earth..." Gin observed. "I wonder what keeps it in this position..."

"Whatever reason it has, it must have something to do with the Demon laying ahead" Grimmjow commented.

"If he's able to do this... It must be quite fearsome" Harribel said.

"I believe so as well. However, such doesn't seem to be the case" Gin refuted. "You see, this is supposed to be the Prince of the Wind, yet there is not an especially powerful storm or something that would make you imagine that the wind is responsible for keeping these things in the air. If I had to bet, I'd say that there is some sort of gravity manipulation in these platforms"

"That would be even more impressive if you ask me" Grimmjow chuckled, eager to fight such an opponent.

"Whatever reason it is, it speaks greatly of our adversary" Harribel concluded.

"In any way, we won't find out until we have him face to face" Gin replied. "So why don't we go ahead and find out?"

"You don't have to ask" Grimmjow grinned.

The trio jumped from one island to the other. Each one was just like the first, a mass of fertile ground and rocks, some even having trees growing on them.

After about twenty islands of that kind, they reached one that seemed more like a flatland, completely shadowed by the black clouds.

"You should try to have your eyes open" Grimmjow teased Gin.

"Haha, how funny..." The Ex-Captain replied. "Though it's amazing that even with my eyes like this I am more perceptive than you" He giggled as he entered the dark haze ahead.

"Tsk... We'll see about that!"

"Wait you two! We don't know if the enemy-"

"The enemy has been watching us since the start, Harribel" Gin clarified, dispersing the black clouds in a flash just with swings of his sword. "Despite that, he seems interested in facing us here anyways"

With the air clear, the rest of the flatland was easily sighted.

It seemed to be some kind of Japanese Shrine, having statues of Shinto Gods and Oni. There were also Tori Gates that showed the way into the main temple.

On the stairway to the main temple, a bald Tengu-like being of green skin and lightgreen feathers was waiting for them. He had a long Katana in his hand, two black pointy horns coming out of his head and the Kanji for wind in the center of his chest. It was the Prince.

"Hello Majin-san!" Gin saluted mockingly as he approached him.

"The name's Kazenawa. Welcome to my dominion, the Temple of Wind" The Prince replied politely.

"Thank you for such warm welcome" Gin bowed a bit. "However, I'm afraid that I have a request to make you..."

"What would that be?" Kazenawa inquired.

"Could you please die?" Gin made his innocent smile as he let an infantile aura of bloodlust out of his being.

"*sigh* I should've imagined you would say something of such bad taste" The Prince replied. "Mortal Souls have a disgusting habit of speaking so casually of death. I understand that your deaths might not be absolute, but even so, it is an insult to those of us who live an eternity seeing as you kill each other over the most mundane reasons"

"You may speak for most, but I don't fit that category" Grimmjow joined. "I fight cause I feel alive when I do so. There's nothing like the feeling sweat, blood and pain give you. It is the only way I know of living, and it's the only reason I have to risk my life by coming here!"

"Of course, I know your kind very well too" Kazenawa said in reply. "You are savage beasts that seek conflict to quench your thirst for battle, harming yourselves and others without any reason at all. You're worse than beasts"

"Even if that is the case, you're no one to judge them, not anymore at least" Harribel refuted. "After the senseless massacres you've brought upon, you have no right to call us beasts either"

"Really? Do you really believe it is all senseless? Do you have any idea of the injustice that pushed us to this decision?" Kazenawa seemed insulted. "You may not know it, as you were left by the Old Gods for longer than you or your respective societies would know, but the negligence of this world sickens me and Yama-sama to a point in which we cannot be indifferent anymore"

"Negligence? What do you mean?" Harribel asked.

"The way in which this world was left unsupervised. Sure, the Soul King may exist, but that's just a mean to keep balance, and it's far from perfect" Kazenawa explained.

"Ah, so you share the same opinion as Aizen" Gin deduced. "There is no such thing as a being ruling above all in this world... Aizen used to say that. He wanted to become a truly perfect God, one that could not only take the Soul King's place, but surpass it, becoming the ultimate overseer"

"Yama-sama has had said idea for eons however, and his plan has been carefully crafted through those years" Kazenawa revealed. "We know of this man, Aizen, and while I must admit that he has a far superior intelect to that of most beings, probably even mine, Yama-sama is in a completely different dimension"

"Really? How scary..." Gin commented, his grin unchanging. "Guess I'll have to try twice as hard this time!"

Ichimaru opened his blue eyes as he charged towards Kazenawa.

Grimmjow and Harribel entered Segunda Etapa and took the sides for support, a bit surprised that Gin attacked so straightforwardly and without releasing his Zanpakutou.

"He's either crazy or a real monster" Harribel thought about his ally.

"Let's see what you're made of... Commander" Grimmjow thought with an eager expression.

Gin's level had always been above the Espada during Aizen's reign, so it wasn't surprising that his base form as an Arrancar could be on pair with their normal Resurrección, in fact, he was probably the second strongest pure Soul Reaper in Karakura during that fight, only surpassed by Yamamoto. However, it was ridiculous thinking his power was comparable with Segunda Etapa without even releasing his true power.

Gin could feel how Kazenawa's speed was monstrous. The Demon attacked relentlessly, flying through the battlefield so quickly that it looked like he was constantly appearing and disappearing.

The only thing he could rely on, was his senses and instinct, and even then, sight was not an option. Attempting to follow Kazenawa with his eyes was a complete waste of time and energy.

However, by hearing and feeling the air around him, he could predict where and how to block his attacks just in time.

For Kazenawa it wasn't any easier either, but not because of Ichimaru. The two Espada that were supporting him from the distance could see his movements as an equal. He had to dodge Ceros and other ranged attacks.

"_Winter Wind__"_ He used his wings to create giant hurricanes that he directed at Harribel and Grimmjow.

The two Espada had to use Sonido to escape the range of the giant air attack. While they had gotten faster, they hadn't gotten to Nel's level with her Velocidad, and it was understandable, since she developed such an ability under training from the Shunpo goddess herself.

Even with the other two busy, however, it was still difficult for Kazenawa to deal a single succesful attack on the silver haired man.

"Tch... You are better than I thought, Ichimaru Gin"

"Wow, you know my name!" Gin giggled as he thought: "I have no choice but to do this perfectly. A single attack from this guy would completely obliterate this body with no effort...!"

"As I told you before, we knew of Aizen, which means that we also had our eye on you and a couple other subordinates of him. Ulquiorra for example, ended up being chosen by Yama-sama as he was the one with the most potential. Unfortunately, he has now gone to your side, but that's not even worth considering in the face of a God like Yama-sama" Kazenawa explained as his Zanpakutou clashed against Gin's. "You were pretty impressive in your intent to defeat Aizen, although you failed in the end. In spite of that, I believe you deserve some credit"

"Oh, really? Cause I think otherwise" Gin refuted, remembering Rangiku's tears. "I don't deserve anything. For as long as she's still crying, I haven't attained a single victory, hence I'm not worthy of any award" He thought, delivering a wild barrage of slashes at Kazenawa, who even took damage.

"You gotta be kidding me... Can a mere Arrancar be this strong?!" He thought in shock.

"For your look, I can tell that you never imagined I could give you trouble" Gin mocked him. "It's true, I can't see you, but that just means that I have to beat you using all my other senses" He stuck his tongue out. It was long and bifid.

"Don't tell me you...!" Kazenawa understood it in that moment.

"Snakes are able to tell lots of things by sticking their tongues out... From the temperature to the hostility of the environment they're immersed in" He took advantage of that moment, quickly stabbing Kazenawa.

The Demon flinched as he spat blood.

"Ungh... You... Snake!"

"Thank you" Gin chuckled proudly.

"Whatever... I have eight more of those. Oni have seven, but Majin have nine" Kazenawa extirpated his dead heart with his hand.

"I know. Ulquiorra told... _Us_"

As soon as Gin said that plural, Kazenawa remembered the true nature of the battle.

"_Cero Eléctrico_!"

"_Cero Volcánico_!"

Of course, it was too late to realize said thing, as an electrifying and a burning _Cero_ obliterated other four of his hearts.

"Gha!" He fell to the floor, feeling as weak and hopeless as never in his immortal existence. "I have only four left... I cannot give them any more chances"

"That position suits you a lot better..." Gin grinned maliciously. "Do you feel like fulfilling my request now?"

"Fuck you..." Kazenawa lost his patience, holding his Katana tightly. "Mortals should never defy those above them... But it looks like I will have to teach you that personally"

Gin approached him with Sonido ready to stab his remaining hearts before he tried anything else.

"You're slow... You're gonna regret not using your release from the start..." Kazenawa chuckled. "Divide the skies... **_Ziz_**!"

~~~~X~~~~

Kon woke up with a pain on his neck. He had fallen asleep on the chair as he waited for the girl to awake.

He had left some spare clothes Rukia had laying around in the house, just in case she woke up.

As soon as he noticed that the clothes were gone, he jumped from his seat and ran down the stairs.

"Shit! Where the hell did she go?!" He muttered to himself, only to find the TV on. "Eh...?"

The girl was watching a Dorama with an uninterested expression as she ate from a bag of potato chips.

Kon forced her to stand up and pulled her back to the room.

"Y-You woke up! Why didn't you tell me?! You can't just go out like that!" Kon exclaimed. "

The girl deviated her look a bit, not looking at him straight in the eye.

"You're the one that brought me here?" She asked, indifferent.

"Yeah! I saw you passed out in a-"

"Pervert" She replied, getting in a defensive position. "You brought me to your house, naked and unconscious! What were you thinking?"

"WHAT? But I literally saved you! And I didn't do anything weird!" He shouted, while thinking: "Despite my compulsive need to just let go..."

"Really? Do you have any proof of that?" The girl was as sceptical as possible.

"Well... No, but-"

"Get away from me! AAAaaahhh!" She screamed.

"No! Please, stop screaming!" He covered her mouth. "Look, I even left clothes for you! A pervert would've left you naked"

"Hm... I guess I can believe that much" She replied, accepting not to scream.

"Now, tell me something more about you. Like, how in the world did you end up there in... Your condition...?"

"My name is... *sigh* Look, I don't want you meddling into my business so, I don't think I should tell you anything"

"Why? It's not like I don't know anything. You have Reishi, so you must come from the Soul Society, right?" Kon deduced.

"What? How can you...?"

"Cause I'm not a human. My name's Kon, and I'm a Mod Soul inside a human body! Though you probably don't know what that is..." He scratched his head.

"No way... D-Did you say... Mod Soul?" The girl seemed to be frightened upon hearing that term.

"Yeah. An artificially made soul. The smart guy of the Candy Shop said that we were designed to be used as a weapon, being able to enter corpses and control them from the inside... But they canceled the project due to its macabre nature"

"No... I... I know about it..." She admitted.

"Really?! But... How?" Kon seemed even more intrigued.

"I'm sorry, Kon... But I have a feeling things will only get more complicated if you try to help me" She sadly replied. "In fact, I should be going, otherwise someone will come for me and-"

Door knocking was heard.

"Who is it?" Kon wondered, going to it.

"Shit!" The girl cursed. "Try to entertain them a little. I must go, now!"

"Huh?" Kon was stranged, but did as she told him, casually opening the door.

A green haired man in a strange yellow tunic was at the door, escorted by two Shinigami Lieutenants, apparently, Nanao and Kira.

"Hi, can I help you with...?"

"Move, there's no time to explain!" The strange man barged in without delay.

"Woah! Hey, you can't just do this!" Kon protested.

Despite his efforts, the man had already checked what he needed.

"Dammit! She's not here... But she couldn't have gone too far...! Look for her!"

The two Lieutenants did as he ordered.

"What is going on...? Who the hell are you?!" Kon pushed him.

"Get your filthy hands off me, weakling!" The man used the first Hadou without any effort, tying Kon's hands behind his back.

"Ungh...! Why you...?!"

"That damn brat... Only delaying the inevitable..." The man muttered as he exited the Kurosaki household.

~~~~X~~~~

Kazenawa had changed his form completely, now looking like a half-humanoid, his lower half being like a griffin.

The Demon shot a barrage of powerful gusts of wind at his three enemies effortlessly with his released weapon.

His Majinbuki had become a long spear that reminded Grimmjow of _Chauve-Souris_, due to his contempt for the Primera Espada. He could easily remember how it created hurricanes and gusts of wind as well.

"Could it be...?" Grimmjow thought, deviating an attack with a strong Reiatsu blast, only to be countered by the Prince, personally.

"Die!" Kazenawa was about to stab him, when Harribel intercepted the attack by shooting boiling water at the Demon.

"Grimmjow, don't lose focus!" She ordered.

"Sorry, Tier!" He jumped to ger side. "It's just that... Isn't that weapon a lot like-"

"Ulquiorra's. I also thought about it" She replied, pensive. "It has similar traits and abilities"

"Its looks are clearly different though" He pointed out.

Kazenawa couldn't help but chuckle at the ignorance of the two Espada.

"Heh, if only they knew..." He murmured to himself.

"Over here!" Gin said, attempting to stab him in the back, literally.

Kazenawa, however, was above his current capabilities, easily dodging the attack and countering right away.

"Too slow..." He replied as he scratched Gin with one of its paws, dealing a deadly amount of damage.

"Tsk... That hurt" Ichimaru admitted, feeling as his body had been completely broken inside. "Looks like I've got no other choice... The other Espada are not doing much better either"

"You better start taking things seriously, Ichimaru" Kazenawa warned. "Otherwise, I won't be able to contain my urge to rip you apart any longer!"

"Heh... If you can't help yourself, you can come and try" He spat a bit of blood. "I died once... Surely I can die again"

"Oh really? In that case, it will be my pleasure" The prince flew right at him, pointing the great lance to kill him in an instant.

"Fool" He thought as he licked his Zanpakutou in an instant, opening his eyes as he released it. "Slither and kill... **_Basilisco_**!"

An explosion of silver-white Reiatsu filled the air.

Once the smoke was cleared, Harribel and Grimmjow had a look at Gin.

His skin became paler, and his sky-blue eyes had a reptile pupil. His hair seemed to become longer and wilder, falling at his shoulders. The rest of his body seemed unchanged, as it was below his clothes, but it had grown scales on his skin, which grew up to his neck, adding a special coat of a harder _Hier__ro_ on top of his skin.

As soon as Kazenawa stared into his eyes, Gin closed them again and threw a stampede of white snakes that came after him.

"What is this?" Kazenawa thought, flying so that the snakes would not reach him. "While his attacks may be futile in terms of damage, this guy is full of surprises... I should avoid his attacks no matter what" He thought.

Unfortunately for him, Gin knew he would do something like that, so he anticipated his move and attacked him in the air with a long white blade.

As soon as Kazenawa realized the situation, he tried to evade the Katana, but to his great surprise, the sword not only continued extending itself, but it even bent towards him, flexibly changing its direction and even curving itself.

"What's with that sword...? It's just like a living snake!"

"It's really similar to its master, don't you think?" Gin asked back, throwing a handful of white snakes from his long sleeve at him.

The snakes bit as soon as they felt the warmth produced by the skin of the Demon, or so it looked like to Kazenawa.

"Kgh!" He made a sound of pain as he felt the poisonous bites, still trying to keep himself in the air.

"_Cascada Hirviendo!" _Harribel attacked with the boiling torrent of water.

"_Desgarrón Destructor!" _Grimmjow added lacerating Reiatsu slashes to the siege.

Kazenawa's body suffered massive damage as he took the two attacks. Probably, separated they weren't much, but together it was a fierce demonstration of power, even for a Prince. Harribel's boiling water left his hard skin vulnerable, while Grimmjow's slashes left large open wounds in it.

"And now for the final touch..." Gin prepared a final blow. "_Shinso_!"

Despite being his Hollow Zanpakutou, it perfectly understood Gin's command, extending itself at a terrifying speed.

"_Mordida Culebra_" Gin opened his eyes as he left a piece of his sword inside the Demon's organism, all thanks to the wounds Grimmjow had opened, otherwise his Zanpakutou wouldn't have been nearly able to pierce his hard skin to that extent.

As Kazenawa fell to the ground, he felt his blood running slower and slower through his body.

"What...? What did you do to me?!" He didn't seem to understand.

"I basically did the same I once tried on Aizen, the only difference being the inexistence of a Hogyoku inside you. I left a piece of my Zanpakutou in your body, and as you may believe, a deadly poison is now making a mess in your organism. You might be a Demon, so it will be a bit slower... But sooner or later, you will disintegrate and irrevocably die" Gin explained, delighted.

"Tch... You're lying... You must be lying!" He was in complete denial. "I can't... I can't fail against such a chep tactic...!"

"Heh, and you wanna know what's even better? Hehe..." He giggled. "Those snakes you saw, they are not even real"

"W-What?!" Kazenawa was in shock. "That's a blatant lie...! I saw them, I felt their bite, filling poison into my body!"

"~Ah-aah~" Gin melodically retorted. "That was all just an illusion created when you looked within my reptilian eyes" He opened them again. "It's almost ironic. I spent about a hundred years earning Aizen's trust to get that out of him... The way to stop his Zanpakutou's terrifying ability... Only to receive eyes that did the same myself"

"You're bluffing..."

"If you wanna believe that..." Gin raised his shoulders. "In any case, it's becoming late. Look at yourself"

As soon as he said that, Kazenawa did as he told him. His bestial body was shaking and feeling number for every second that passed.

"So... I _will_ die" He accepted his fate, calmly.

"Hm?" Gin seemed amaze at his sudden resolve.

"In that case... Might as well take you all with me..." He grinned as he activated the true power of his lance, a disgusting Aura emanating from him. "**_Cataclysm_**"

"No way..." Gin sighed in disbelief. "Also... What's with that ominous energy I see in him?"

During the fight, neither of the three Espada had noticed that all the floating structures of before were flying above them.

"The true power of _Ziz_... Is to control the gravity of the objects with large quantities of my Reishi" Kazenawa chuckled. "All those wind attacks were just _my _doing, not my Majinbuki's... And would you look at that?"

The black clouds had reunited all on the same spot.

"You're shitting me..." Grimmjow spouted as he stared straight into the sky.

"To me, it looks like just the time for a perfect storm... Ahahahahahaha!" Kazenawa laughed madly. "_Cataclysm_ is not just a name, it's literally what it means. A full fledged natural disaster..."

"Shit..." Gin thought, realizing the magnitude of the Prince's attack. "I just need a bit more of time... My blade is still not ready..." He looked at the Zanpakutou, which slowly gained a silver bright.

Kazenawa stood up, not feeling his own body.

"I might as well put an end to this giving it my all. The truth is... I was never an experienced fighter, unlike Kachiki, for example... But I never give up" The Demon declared. "If my body has lost all senses, not feeling pain will be the key to keep fighting. I won't let you get away, that's a given"

"Tch... What a son of a bitch!" Grimmjow cursed. "You could've given it your all since tge start, and now you play the mighty warrior card?!"

Kazenawa attacked him with a barrage of stabs with his lance, the Espada giving it his all to evade them.

"You were _lucky_ that I didn't give it my all until now" Kazenawa clarified. "You're strong, for your race... But in no case comparable to the likes of us!"

One of the stabs reached him.

"Argh!" He fell to the ground immediately, unable to stand up as a tremendous weight pushed him down. "W-What...? What's going on?!" He was starting to feel an unbearable despair, something he couldn't comprehend.

"_Gravity__ Bomb" _Kazenawa said. "I used my weapon to embed you with a portion of Reiatsu. The fact that you are moving even a bit, speaks highly of your strength, but don't worry, I'll just apply more in the next stab"

"I don't think so!" Harribel stopped him with a swing of her cannon-like blade. "_Ola Azul__" _She attacked from point blank range, so it managed to make the Demon flinch.

"Heh, I see that you won't be giving up either" Kazenawa praised. "Sadly, we don't have much longer. If you escape, he'll die, unable to move from that spot. If you fight me, _you_ will die, trying to defeat me as the ground falls down"

Harribel's emerald eyes shined as she processed those words.

"Are you saying... That I... Need to make a choice?"

Gin was about to join them, when he noticed something changed in her.

"Of course. Will you sacrifice your friend? Or... Would you rather sacrifice yourself trying to save him?" Kazenawa asked, the clouds starting to shoot lightnings randomly as the seconds passed, the giant structure of earth, plants and rock falling straight at them.

She could clearly remember the way in which her attacks forced others to sacrifice something... How she had to always make a sacrifice in order to protect something much greater for her.

However, this time was different. Whatever choice she made, was the same as losing it all. For the first time, she couldn't embrace her own nature.

She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she sacrificed Grimmjow. She would rather die...

But even then, Grimmjow would probably die as well. The only possible way was killing Kazenawa before the cataclysm fell upon them, and it was impossible for her in that moment.

The only option was... Breaking her limits one last time.

"Whatever sacrifice I make... Won't save me this time" She concluded. "That means... The only way out of this... Is to try to keep it all for the first time in my life!"

"What?" Kazenawa seemed amused by her decision.

"No more sacrifices... It's time I act out of selfishness for once" Harribel's yellow Reiatsu was brimming out of her body in an unseen way. "I won't sacrifice Grimmjow, nor myself, nor anything else!"

"Harribel..." Gin also opened his eyes, truly amazed as he witnessed that moment.

"I will cherish all the things I love... And I will fight...!"

"T...Tier" Grimmjow muttered with difficulty, beholding her.

"...TO PROTECT IT ALL!" A yellow expansive wave exploded, blinding Kazenawa for a second.

After the yellow Reiatsu rose, a black layer grew arpund it, culminating in a white flash.

Out of the light, Harribel came out in _Resurrección: Etapa Final_. Her hair turned grey, with two strands of it falling at the length of her neck in the front, while a very broad and long hair tail fell to her rear's length in the back. Crowning her head, two great black and grey pieces of mask rose like peaks to the sky.

Her eyes had black scleras with yellow irises, and under them, blue bolt-like markings were drawn down her cheeks.

Her upper body was almost completely exposed, and had black and yellow lines that looked like shark gills in her stomach and back. The only pieces that were covered were her right shoulder, which had an armor made from black and grey piece of mask with shark-teeth appearance, and her breasts, though only a thin line of grey and yellow armor covered them through the center.

Right below her stomach, in the center of jer waist, her Hollow Hole could be seen, surrounded by the armor-like mask.

Her right leg had her thigh uncovered, while the left one was completely protected by a black, grey and yellow armor which extended to her foot and butt, from which an elegant whale-shark tail came out. Her right side had only her knee and quill covered by the armor, showing her dark-skinned foot, which looked a lot more bestial.

Her left arm had said armor from her elbow to the back of her wrist, which displayed a pointy piece of grey mask protecting it. Her hand had beauttiful pointy black nails.

Finally, her right arm was completely covered by the armor, having several yellow veins of Reiatsu in it, was shaped in a way that allowed her to change that arm into a cannon for her elemental attacks and better aim with _Cero._

Right in front of her, a trident with glistening yellow energy was embedded in the ground, waiting for her to use it.

"My final weapon... _Megalodon_" Harribel murmured as she felt the trident in her hand, overflowing with power. She looked at the sky, as it kept menacing to fall on them. "There's no time. I'll end this in a flash"

"So, you got an ultra convenient power-up, didn't you?" Kazenawa mocked her. "It's useless. You're just a Hollo-"

"_Cero Luna"_

Harribel gave no shits as she blasted a white and yellow _Cero _on the Demon's face, sending him flying towards the Japanese temple, which got smashed to pieces.

"Ichimaru" She called his attention. "That attack earlier, you did something, didn't you?"

"Ah, yeah..." He nodded.

"Will it kill him?"

"If it works, yes. But, I need time..." He clarified.

"How much?" Her bright yellow irises looked straight at him.

Gin looked at his Zanpakutou. It wasn't shining as brightly as it had, but it was almost ready.

"About a minute. But... I don't think we'll have that much" He said bitterly, his mouth being serious.

"Worry not" She replied, calmly. "I can smash the smaller islands. With that, we'll have enough time for your plan to work. However, you're gonna have to fight on your own in the meantime"

"There won't be a need for that" Grimmjow replied, standing on his feet with a lot of difficulty, but not willing to fall again, not after he defeated that ominous feeling of despair. "I'll take care of the falling islands, you keep breaking the shit out of him, Tier..."

"Grimmjow...!" She was delighted to see him standing up despite the Demon's attack.

"I won't be able to withstand it much longer..." He spat. "So I'll just end it all in the easiest way"

He scratched his own chest, his hands covered in blood as he pointed them to the sky, as well as charging the electricity to the maximum.

"_Gran Rey Cero: **Sangre y Trueno**!"_

From his hands, a gigantic blue _Cero_ surrounded by electricity was directed at the structures above, turning them into debris as soon as they came into contact with the beam, as well as charging the black clouds in the atmosphere with its blue energy.

Seconds later, the power overload culminated in a giant thunderbolt that fell from the skies into the biggest falling island, cracking it, yet not destroying it.

"Ungh..." Grimmjow fell unconscious and defeated by the greater gravity in his body.

"Grimmjow..." Harribel muttered, admiring him even in that weak state. "Even after taking all that... Ichimaru!" She called his name, full of determination.

"Y-Yes!" He was caught off-guard.

"Let's end this...!" She charged against the Demon, who was now ready for the next assault, despite his face being burned almost completely.

"Impressive... While it did not hurt, that was only due to the mortal poison... Not because it was a weak attack" He admitted. "I can see that the beast also had quite a bit of energy left, but it was not enough! You have no salvation!"

The gigantic rock was getting closer, almost reaching their island.

"No... You are the one who is more than finished" Harribel declared, pointing her trident at Kazenawa. "**_Marea Negra!_**_"_

From the trident, a giant black wave rose, swallowing everything in its path.

"_Deathwind" _Kazenawa tries to counter the wave with an attack of multiple cutting air waves. "You won't... Win... Mortals..."

_"You are Kazenawa, right?" The young God asked him. "You're known for being the quickest Archangel, faster than the wind, some say..."_

_"Yes... I don't really fight that much anymore" He replied._

_His_ _blue hair,_ _gray eyes and greenish skin made him quite noticeable. He used to be one of the strongest Angels, so he was ascended to the position of Archangel, in which his strength didn't stand out, but his speed was another topic._

_"I know... There's not much to do nowadays. Takemagahara is just a place for mediocre Gods to rest and find comfort. The realms below were all left unattended, poorly balanced by the Soul Cycle, as they called it"_ _The young God replied._

_"Yes. I've been working as a messenger as a result, but... I can't stand it, Sorayama-sama"_

_"Just call me Yama. We share the same view after all, don't we?" He smiled at the Angel with a hypnotic charm._

_"A God as powerful as you... With no purpose whatsoever and picked on by the mediocre likes of the Gods who enjoy this system... It's unforgivable" Kazenawa clenched his fist._

_"Then_..._ Would you be willing to help me? All I want is to put everything in order. To sit in that long-forgotten throne and rule it all as best as I can. That would be the perfect work for someone like me, don't you think?" Yama closed his eyes as he innocently proposed such a scheme._

_"Hmph" Kazenawa chuckled. "Yes, Yama-sama... That would be a most fitting place, for a majestic God like yourself. I'm all ears..."_

"Yama-sama... Is the embodiment of perfection... The true balance this world needs, yet was rejected by the weak and lazy scum that didn't want to do its job" Kazenawa thought angrily, using all the strength he had left in an intent to stop Harribel's attack.

The black tsunami was clashing against his fiery storm, slowly losing its power.

"I... Won't... Give... Up..." Kazenawa muttered as his power started to cancel the Espada's attack. "HaaaaaaAAAAA!"

The wave exploded, turning the blackwater into nothing as it was splattered through the platform.

"I... Did it..." Kazenawa grinned with pride. "Yama-sama... I didn't fail you..."

But in spite of all his efforts, the three Espada had already achieved victory.

"Kazenawa..." Gin called his attention.

The Demon raised his look to see the Arrancar.

"It's over..." Gin looked at him straight in the eye, his orbs shining with a silver light. "_**Mirada Mortal**"_

Kazenawa's body turned into stone, starting right where the fragment of Gin's sword had been left.

"I deceived you" Gin said. "The poison is real, so were the snakes. I cannot create illusions. My eyes are simply the key to activate the effect of my _Basilisco_. As soon as the fragment has tainted all of your Reiatsu with a special poison, a single look into these eyes will turn you into stone. The poison is quite convincing, isn't it? But I'm afraid that it cannot kill just like that" Gin raised his sword's handle as a shining sand came back to it, reforming the Zanpakutou. "This sword _is_ a snake, one that can change its shape easily by assembling and dissassembling itself in a microscopical level. Hmph... I am really weak in fact... A single well-given blow would have easily ended my life, but you said so: I always have these cheap tricks, and that's my aspect of death, Deception"

Harribel blasted a _Gran Reina Cero _at the cracked island, finishing what Grimmjow started and saving him.

"I... See..." Kazenawa accepted, the stone reaching his neck. "You might... Not understand... Us... But I... Can see... That you don't... Take life... Lightly..." He closed his eyes with a confident expression as his face became literally petrified.

Gin let out a loud sigh of relief as he walked away of the statue, the black clouds slowly dispersing into nothingness, leaving the rest of Jigoku in the background.

"That's a scary power you have right there" Harribel commented, amazed at the deadly ability of her previous Commander as an Arrancar.

"It's no use, unless my Zanpakutou can reach the inside of the enemy" He clarified. "I'm more amazed by your transformation. If it wasn't for that, we would've been screwed anyways"

"Yes, we almost perished... But it seems that such a hopeless situation had to occur for me to release the last stage in a Hollow's evolution" She replied, stoic. "And actually... I'm really happy with the result" She smiled as she picked the unconscious Grimmjow up. "I can finally return him the favor"

"Now, it looks like I'm gonna have to get way stronger in order to stand a chance in the future. Geez..." He said with bother. "I should at least get to _Segunda Etapa_ shouldn't I?"

"Well, if you stay as an Arrancar that is to be expected. But... That doesn't seem to be the case" She knew about his talk with Urahara. "I heard... That you were planning to go back to being a Shinigami. How is that possible?"

"Well... Urahara-san believes that my 'resurrection' was a product of the Hogyoku. He says, that said artifact has a will of its own, and that it recognizes the potential of the people around it" Gin explained. "In my case, the fact that I deceived Aizen and almost killed him was an action that 'impressed' the Hogyoku, so it granted me another chance to reach my goal, which was manifested in an alteration to the typical cycle between the Soul Society and the Human World, turning me into an Arrancar instead"

"That sounds... Unbelievable, to say the least, though not in a bad way. It's simply... Amazing" She recognized.

"I think so too" Gin nodded. smiling again. "And I cannot act so carelessly anymore. This is my last chance. I can't waste it dying miserably without even seeing her once" He thought determined.

"Let's... Head to the entrance" Harribel said, going back to her base form. "None of us are in condition for another fight, so we might as well wait for the rest to return. In the worst of cases, we could replenish our energy and help someone out if they need it... Although I see it difficult after this encounter"

"True... The best we can do is believe in them. Let's go back" Gin decided, pretty exhausted himself, slowly walking along Harribel and the sleeping Grimmjow.

**And that was it! As you can see, I finished this one as soon as possible. It's not that I don't like these fights, they have their touch, but knowing what lays ahead... It's just not enough.**

**Entering another topic, I received a couple critics on previous Chapters (probably of the same person) regarding wrong power-scaling, which I refuted. Still, I wanted to remind you that Bleach's power-scaling is really criptic itself, so I've done a huge effort describing and comparing the power of the different characters. Also, I think it's clear that many of the abilities I've described are not necessarily power-based, so even if a character is leagues below another, under certain conditions it is still possible for the weaker one to deal damage or even win, depending on his ability.**

**I'm not hurt at all by critics, in fact I like that people share a different view. However, it's really meaningless if the comment shows a lack of information or comprehension. Nobody is perfect, so I appreciate if you point out my mistakes, but please do it informed and in a respectful way, and this goes for everything.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _hoohoo! Loved this chapter! I really enjoyed it a LOT! My favorite part was obviously Yoruichi getting one-upped by Kisuke in the teasing department. As well as her actually BLUSHING! The Queen of Tease? Acting like your average schoolgirl with a crush?! LOL! I also must say that her "Neko" side is quite cute as well!_**

**_But yea. Keep up the good work! I wonder who's fight is up next? Ichigo (Ulquiorra and Nel are obviously on the sidelines right now)? The Visoreds? Or the trio of Gin, Harribel, and Grimmjow?_**

**Reply: I made that part to show Urahara's intellect and knowledge of Yoruichi allows him to tease her back and even win! Though someone may argue that Yoruichi would never fall for that. Honestly, I don't know, Kubo doesn't really touch that side of most characters, so it's left for the imagination.**

**This time we had the Espada trio, but next up Ichigo's struggle will continue, and, the Vizards will have their encounter with the last and strongest Prince. I hope you enjoy it!**

**thereceiv3r: _I__ have a feeling the demons are gonna make an attack on Las Noches while the "buff" team are out. But who knows? They've already done pretty good damage the last time that shadowy demon was there (shadows are my favourite power :D) I thought Orihime would have gone out with Ichigo and Ulquiorra. I really want to see her Hollow powers. Oh well, that is something to wait for._**

**Reply: We'll see about surprise attacks, after all, Hueco Mundo is not really unattended... Kurokage's power is pretty cool, isn't it? I kinda picked up the idea from Doflamingo's character, as it is a power that's not really strong in essence, but that its full mastery makes a very dangerous adversary. Regarding Orihime, my first 'Beta' of this Arc (for putting it in a way) had her supporting the main trio, but I changed it later. Just be patient, you'll understand whenever the time comes.**

**Thank you for reading and see you next Chapter! Evhron out.**

**Glossary:**

**_Basilisco: _Basilisk, the mythological creature that reigns over all snakes and kills in a single look by turning to stone.**

**_Mordida Culebra: _Snakebite. Also, a song by Racer X.**

**_Mirada Mortal: _Death Gaze.**

**_Sangre Y Trueno: _Blood And Thunder. A song by Mastodon lol.**

**_Marea Negra:_ Black Tide, Harribel's strongest attack, though not fully appreciated in this Chapter. Also, a band that was amazing in their first album. Then it became quite terrible.**

**PD: Her design is basically CFYOW, with a few modifications, but it's almost the same.**


	32. Burn The Ground

The Vizards' route turned out to be a scorching desert. On the sides, boiling pools of sulfuric and phosphoric acid showed them the hostile nature of the path they chose.

"What's that smell?!" Hiyori covered her nose, really bothered. "It's like rotten eggs... You better not be the ones responsible!" She threatened Love and Hachigen.

"Hey, I haven't done anything!" Love protested.

"Please don't accuse me of something so vulgar, Hiyori-san..." Hachigen felt insulted.

"That's the smell of sulfur, Hiyori" Lisa clarified. "As a matter of fact, some cultures believe that natural sources of sulfur come from Hell. I doubt that's possible though, as Jigoku is a completely separate realm from the Human World"

"Ah, I see..." She nodded. "In that case, I forgive you"

"Give us a break, you cannot forgive us if we didn't do anything" Love refuted.

"Hmph... Whatever you say" Hiyori crossed her arms. "Now, how much will it be? I'm literally burning out here!"

"We're all the same, just cope with it for another while" Lisa replied tired.

"Hrngh..." She growled. "Okay..."

After a long sweaty walk through the rest of the trail, they were reaching the end. An island surrounded by active magma came in sight, making them feel quite uneasy. To take things even further, on the outside shores of the lake, hordes of Demon soldiers were present, ready to witness the battle that was about to take place.

"There's way too many of them..." Hachigen said, afraid.

"Don't mind them, Hachi, they're beyond that lake of fire" Love tried to calm him. "But I can't deny it's a massive number of them"

"I hope we don't have to face that, otherwise we'll be in deep trouble" Lisa commented.

"Oh, I think we're already in deep shit..." Hiyori said as she looked at the structure ahead.

In the middle of the island, that was set like a battle arena, rose an abominable mountain made with pointy peaks of igneous rock, various kinds of skulls and sandstone.

At its top, sitting in a cliff, was a huge muscular red-skinned Demon with large goat horns, gazing at them with his evil orange eyes, the two collars with a ruby and topaz hanging from his neck, respectively.

"At last!" The Demon jumped into the arena, in front of them. Surprisingly, he only cracked the floor, not destroying it completely like they expected. "I heard you defeated the Dukes that conquered Hueco Mundo. I was there the invasion, though only as an observer. However, I know about their potential, so it is an impressive accomplishment if you ask me"

The Vizards gulped as they got a bit closer, speaking face to face.

"You... Must be Kachiki, right?" Love asked first.

"Yeah! The strongest Demon in what physical strength means! As well as the strongest of the three Princes of Jigoku..." He chuckled. "For the same reason, I'm always looking for powerful adversaries that can give me a good fight, in hope that one day I'll find someone else who is able to kill me!"

"Someone... Else...?" Hiyori inquired, impressed that there was an individual who could match that Demon. "Someone as in... Singular?!"

"Well... Of course, Yama-sama could easily do the job with his Kamibuki now that he got it back, but I wasn't referring to that" Kachiki replied. "I'm talking about the first Duke... Arikado"

"Huh? That Fallen Angel?" Lisa remembered. "He was defeated by Ichigo with Nel's aid"

"Tch... Of course he did. That bastard hasn't fought with his true strength ever since our little rebellion in Takemagahara" Kachiki clarified. "But mark my words... If there is someone who has been able to kill me, it is that man"

"Scary..." Hachi commented. "So that Demon didn't nearly use his full strength"

"Arikado used to be the second strongest Archangel. It's no surprise that he's capable of that and much more!" Kachiki's Reiatsu rose impulsively as he remembered the fight of his life. "I'm actually disappointed. Yama-sama knew that he would take this chance to either die or change sides once and for all... But I hoped that he would come here and face me in a final showdown!"

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but we are the ones with that job..." Hiyori talked confidently. "We killed that Duke, Hoji, and we heard that you were his master, so we decided to take you out as well"

"Ho? You four did that? Interesting..." Kachiki stretched his muscles and cracked his knuckles in a single movement, releasing a full charge of a slamming scorching Reiatsu. "Maybe you are more than meets eye"

The Vizards braced for the most powerful enemy they had faced until that moment.

"Here he comes" Lisa said, wearing her Hollow mask and activating Shikai.

They all did the same, knowing that it would probably not be enough, but even so, they wanted to have an idea of what fighting said Prince meant.

"Don't worry about the arena, it's made out of one of the strongest materials you'll find, so you can go crazy without having second thoughts, alright?" Kachiki grinned. "Now, let's do this!"

The Demon went straight ahead at them, impulsing himself by kicking the ground, cracking it, despite his previous comment about its hardness.

The Vizards dodged him, each going into a different direction as they had previously planned.

Hachigen casted several _Bakudou _spells to keep the Demon in that position, at least for a second or two.

Kachiki was binded by steel beams, an electrical whip, dark orbs and four clear lightscreen-like barriers.

"Now, everyone!" Love commanded as he sent a scorching heatwave towards Kachiki.

Hiyori created a powerful _T__riple_ _Cero_, sending the red beams towards the binded Demon.

Lisa, on her part, decided to support Love's attack by creating a gust of wind that rose from the Majin's feet to the sky.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" Kachiki laughed as he rejoiced in the pain caused by the different attacks.

"Not again... Another freak" Love muttered disappointed.

"Now it's clear why the other guy was such an M..." Lisa replied, facepalming.

Despite those couple seconds of calm, the time to relax was more than brief, as the Prince had already started to break Hachi's barriers one by one.

"Dammit... It wasn't nearly enough" Hiyori commented. "Also, Love!"

"What is it?" He asked back.

"Remember that this guy's powers are Earth and Fire. You won't be doing much damage with elemental attacks"

"Yes, I realized that a while ago... Still, I wanted to see if there was a chance" He scratched the back of his head.

"Well, there is no damage! So you better start using your Hollow powers and physical attacks or else you'll be using all your Reiatsu up to avail"

"I know... Sorry" He sighed. "I guess that _was_ pretty stupid..."

"Hey, are you done?" Lisa reprimended them. "Cause this guy is almost out"

Hachi had been preoaring some other enchantments while they were chatting.

"Worry not, Lisa-san" Hachi calmed her. "I've got an idea. I doubt it will be an absolute solution, but it should help. Meanwhile, you should give it your all. Hiyori-san, I ask the same of you"

"Tch... I don't really like using it" Hiyori bit her lip with her fang. "But if we're reduced to this..."

"There's no reason to hold back, Hiyori" Lisa told her. "He's not that great at dodging, so you should do well with your Bankai"

"Okay... I get it" Hiyori sighed with bother. "I've never controlled it really well either, as it is complicated to train with it, but I'm gonna have to try, otherwise, things could get terrible pretty quick"

"Bankai: _**Tonbou no Kyouran Hikou**!" _Lisa released her full power.

"*sigh* Bankai..." Hiyori raised her sword in the air. "**_Orochi Nikuya_**_**!**"_

Hiyori's blade became loaded with her pink Reiatsu, which displayed a violent spiky aura in the edge of the sword.

"Gghhhrrraagh!" Kachiki exited the last barrier casted by Hachigen, which only contained him due to a final reinforcement he had casted with his special orange space-shifting fields. "You are pretty good with those things, Shinigami, but if you think that's gonna stop me... You've got another thing coming!"

The Demon threw a barrage of powerful fire punches at Hachigen, who had a special protective barrier around him, which acted by layers. Each layer was easily shattered by single punches, despite the favt that they were as strong as he could possibly make them.

Unknown to the Prince, however, Hachi was just finishing the enchantment for two greatly destructive Hadou.

"Everyone, behind me!" Hachi ordered, and his friends quickly complied. "Hadou 97: _Suisei Maisou!__"_

A giant mass of water in the form of a cube fell down Kachiki, slamming him against the floor, while exerting a slamming pressure, just like the abyssal waters of the sea.

"Blugh... Gha!" Kachiki was surprised that he could feel endangered by a single attack of the Kidou Master.

"You did it, Hachi!" Love commented, really impressed.

Despite that first win, Hachigen was not content yet.

"No... It won't be enough" He replied, observing as the water cube started boiling.

"Dammit...!" Hiyori and Lisa said at the same time, realizing that the Prince simply rose his body temperature to turn the liquid into vapor, escaping the prison Hachigen had summoned.

"That's why... Hadou 98: _Kaze Kakusei Uchiwa!"_

An unstoppable blast of cutting wind sent the Majin flying up into the sky, with a force that would easily bleed a Lieutenant level Shinigami to death. For the Demon though, the slashing air was like mere tickles, not penetrating through his red skin.

In spite of this... Hachi was not planning to give up, and he wasn't not done. Not nearly done...

The water prison he had created earlier had boiled in its entirety, but the vapor produced by Kachiki's actions was the key to get the effect Hachigen had previously calculated. All that was left, was for him to use the strongest electric Hadou he knew, and the wild tempest would be complete. That said, Hachi had used a lot of Spiritual Pressure in the previous enchantments, so he was taking a risk by using so many high level Kidou at once.

"It's like Hiyori-san said... I still have a lot of Hollow Reiatsu inside me" Hachigen thought, building up the resolve to continue. "If worse comes to worse... I'll just have to become a Hollow and live in Las Noches"

He shifted his hands, making different figures as he finished the last enchantment he had prepared.

"Hadou 94: _Kami o Utsu Kaminari!"_

From his hand, a surge of powerful blue lightnings was shot towards the atmospheric phenomena he had artificially created, charging the storm with a brutal amount of electricity.

"This pain...!" Kachiki yelled as he felt the tri-elemental attack. "This is the sensation I was yearning for! Give me more!"

The four Vizards stared in shock as the Prince was only damaged, yet not obliterated by Hachi's superhuman efforts.

"Don't give up! Let's show him what we're made of!" Lisa said, commanding the swarm of Nodachis to fly and explode in Kachiki's face. "_**Tonbo no Saishuu Hikou**!"_

"Like Hell I'm gonna give up!" Hiyori spouted, slicing the air eight times with her released Zanpakutou.

Every swing created a pink slash of Reiatsu that was going directly towards the Demon.

"You're right... It's dangerous, but it's better than using my Bankai under these circumstances" Love said as he rose his Hollow Reiatsu in a savage way, his body slowly changing into a Hollow's, while still keeping his consciousness.

Back to the girls, Lisa's strongest attack impaled the Prince, the Nodachi's overloaded with indigo Reiatsu as they exploded violently.

"Argh!" Kachiki complained. "That actually... Hurt... A lot..." He thought, smiling eagerly.

"And now it's my turn!" Hiyori spouted as she made sure that each of the eight slashes went through him impeccably.

Kachiki braced as each slash went through him, realizing that none of them really hurt him in any way.

"Eh? What's the meaning of this...? What is her power...?" He thought intrigued.

As soon as the last slash went through him, eight rings of pink Reiatsu came out of his body, encircling and immobilizing him, despite his wicked strength.

"How can she...?"

"No wonder I like you, Lisa" Hiyori said as she smiled at her friend. "**_Orochi no Minagoroshi_**_!"_

The pink binding donuts absorbed Kachiki's Reiatsu, weakening him as they became overloaded.

"Die!" Hiyori said, as each ring became a snake head that bit his body, only to explode seconds after.

The Demon couldn't deny that he was now taking actual damage as he fell on the Arena, facemelting the crowd that witnessed their unbeatable leader being seriously hurt.

"Ungh..." He held his head as he stood up once again, just to find that the show was not over yet.

"_Cero__ Oscuras__!" _A Hollowfied Love screamed with a distorted voice, pointing his hands at the Prince with a pose that easily resembled a Kamehameha.

A giant beam of black and red Reiatsu struck the Demon, dealing massive damage and inflicting friction burns, so the Prince couldn't withstand it easily like fire or magma burns.

He flew towards the holy mountain, being embedded on its surface as soon as he crashed into it. Kachiki spat a lot of blood.

"It's over!" Hiyori said to his face.

The other three Vizards approached him, ready to finish it before he could complicate things any further, but of course, the Demon was ready for that.

"Kekeke... GAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed madly, as excited as he could possibly get. "Not one of you would stand a chance on your own... That's for sure. But together, you all might be just able to kill me... In my current state that is"

"Now!" Love commanded, everyone directing a _Cero _at him.

However, it was not enough. Kachiki withstood it, coughing more blood, but holding a black Katana in his hand, ready to go to the limit.

"_Earth Pus!" _He attacked by punching the ground, which later formed big stalagmites that went their way, forcing them to flinch or dodge to not get stabbed instantly. "You did well... Let's see if... You can handle this..." He stabbed himself in the heart, just like his pupil had done before transforming. "Shake the Earth... _**Behemoth!**"_

An explosion of magma that came from below the arena swallowed him, creating dangerous fissures of lava in the rocky soil, all with a slamming brutal Reiatsu that surpassed anything they had experienced until that moment.

"Tch..." Lisa frowned as she felt it.

"Fuck!" Hiyori bit her lip, knowing that their chances to win had been reduced to almost none.

"Everyone... I was glad to meet you" Hachigen was ready for a horrible imminent death.

"Dammit..." Love, still Hollowfied, shook his head in sign of bad news.

As the torrent of magma came down, Kachiki was proudly showing his ultimate form.

A crown of six black horns was on top of his head. His face was still as brutal as it was in his previous form, though his orange eyes now seemed to glow like active magma, even more menacing.

His body had doubled his previous size, dividing it into a humanoid upper part and a bestial lower one.

His upper body was still of a sturdy red skin, but grew two more arms, the new ones holding weapons, a black and gold mace and a rocky axe with lines of lava.

His lower body had a dark skin with active magma lines, just like the axe, and seemed to resemble a rhinoceros in shape. As expected, he had four powerful legs, each with a golden hoof at its end.

"C'mon now! I've gone this far, so you might as well go beyond your limits!" He roared at them. "I don't care if you are many, I don't care if you cheat... All I want is for you to put me in the verge of life and death!"

As the Majin produced those words, he expelled the disgusting Evil Aura that his kind had, in hope of unlocking an unknown potential in his enemies.

Lisa felt a sudden impulse to see the Demon bleed to death, a grin being painted on her face as she imagined his screams of agony.

Hiyori experienced a similar feeling, getting as enraged as she could possibly be, wanting to beat the Majin to a pulp in order to release her anger.

Hachigen sensed a feeling of disgust for the Demon so great, that the mere sight of the monster became unbearable, feeding an unknown need to destroy.

Finally, Love simply became controlled by the impulsive desires of his inner Hollow-self, just wanting to fight out of an irrational violent instinct.

The other three didn't even think as they released the shackles on their inner Hollows, using their complete transformation at once, in an intent to completely destroy Kachiki.

"Come at me like I'm the thing you despise the most!" The Prince yelled as he saw the Hollowfied Vizards coming for his head.

Each of his four arms was busy dealing with one of them, either blocking or attacking, in an aimless battle that filled the Demon crowd with anxiety and ecstasy as they witnessed the most epic encounter in their empty miserable lives.

Hiyori slashed him frenzily with her Bankai still on, pink serpents biting one of Kachiki's arms endlessly.

"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!" She didn't stop yelling frantically.

"Yes... The pain...!" He moaned as the explosions burned his grotesquely muscular arm.

"Hehehehe... Ahahahahahaha!" Lisa laughed as she attempted to impale him multiple times with her Nodachi, forcing Kachiki to block with his mace. "Why won't you just bleed for me?"

"GAAHAHAHAHAHA! Sure, try it all you want, Miss! I'll give you all the blood you desire, as long as you get it yourself!" Kachiki rejoiced by seeing her bloodlust raising like Hell itself. "But I won't make it easy for you... _Liquid Fire!__"_

From his axe, he threw lava waves at the Hollowfied Vizards, who were able to dodge it only because of the great speed they achieved by mixing _Shunpo_ and _Sonido._

"Ghraaahhh!" Love frenzily swinged his released Zanpakutou at the Demon, hitting him, though only dealing little damage.

"Ha! Those weak attempts are not even worth considering" He mocked, but Love was not finished.

From his mouth, a giant red _Cero _came out, hitting him right in the eyes.

"Argh! That worked though..." The Prince admitted.

"I can't stand it..." Another voice said, with a refined yet hateful tone.

"Huh?" Kachiki heard it.

"I though that I would be able to accept you but... It won't be possible. Your mere being is a poison to my sight, hear and... Ungh, smell" Hachigen covered his nose. "I'd rather die than allow you to keep existing"

"You sound pretty cocky despite not getting anywhere!" Kachiki swinged his axe at him, creating burning waves of Reiatsu that encased the Vizard. "_Flame Deluge!"_

Hachigen used his natural orange barriers to protect himself, to later try to slam him between two walls of his Reishi.

"How unsightly... You and your Demons should die... All shall perish!" Hachigen exclaimed with a rage that didn't belong to his character at all.

Kachiki felt the sheer force of the orange barriers that were crushing him, but still, he was way above that, breaking each with a powerful fire and earth punch.

"I gotta say... Great warmup. However, it's about time I show you all what true power means!" Kachiki hit the ground with his black amd gold mace, unleashing an unseen ability upon his enemies. "_Sand Baptism__!"_

The mountain changed shape, turning into an imponent sandstorm that fell upon the Vizards.

Despite being completely controlled by negative emotions that rose within them uncontrollably, they could all feel the danger of the situation in which the Demonic Prince put them.

"In this Hell... I, ancestral... I am the Sun! I am the Moon! I am the greatest Demon to walk this Hell!" Kachiki growled. "Yama-sama is a God, an existence that we will never reach... But even so... _I_ am the greatest being all those monsters can aspire to become! I won't be defeated by you... Nor anyone!"

His Demon crowd cheered powerfully as they heard him say those words of unquestionable strength, one they could only dream to obtain.

The sandstorm stopped, the rocky arena being filled with the remains of the colossal mountain that a minute ago was a high and mighty monument to the power of the red Demon.

"_Terrestria I: Thaw!" _Kachiki said as he carved his axe in the ground, only to push it further down with a strike of his mace of torment.

The earth below started rising its temperature, turning into lava in a matter of seconds.

The four Vizards instinctively jumoed into the air once that occurred, easily escaping the trap the Demon had set.

However, said attack was never a trap to begin with. It was part of something much more dangerous...

"_Terrestria II: Thrive!" _He yelled with a grin as he commanded the lava to rise.

With his four arms, he lead the lava to form shapes and grow to certain sizes, though this could not be seen by any of the Vizards, being blinded by the desire of Kachiki's destruction.

"DIEEEEEE!!!" Hiyori charged straight at him, the other three following her in the senseless impulsive attack.

"So this is the end..." Kachiki said, accepting that his current rivals were not nearly a match for him. "**_Terrestria III: Wither!"_**

The magma solidified itself in a second, turning into fists, spikes and clubs that went right at them like the very earth below them had a life of itself.

None of them could barely notice this was occurring though. They were still focused on harming Kachiki without any plan or thought at all.

The Prince had won. In a second, his four adversaries would be impaled, beaten and smashed to death. Such a thought didn't make him uncomfortable at all. He knew they wouldn't make the cut from the start.

Still, he wanted to give them a chance. He really wanted to see if the possibility of him being overwhelmed even in his mightiest form existed. That was his only purpose.

What kind if background was there for a Majin like him? What pushed him to follow the actual Demon King, as wicked as his ideas were?

An unbreakable bond of trust and care? A questioning of the actual system designed by the Heavens?

No... That was too complicated for a brute like him.

The answer was way more mundane and simple:

There was none.

His only motive was violence. He fought endless wars and epic battles as an Archangel before, but with the times of peace that came after these bellic conflicts, Kachiki became bored to death. There was no way of feeding his hunger for battle. No way but... Starting a war himself.

With that single option remaining, his role was clear. All he had to do was enter the first conflict he saw, and what better than a rebellion lead by one of the most capable and powerful Gods in Takemagahara?

He did it, and despite the fact that he lost the battle, he won something much more precious: An excuse to keep fighting, to keep getting stronger. Hell, he even got a rival he could look up to, despite him pretending to be way weaker for reasons he couldn't comprehend... But that was just a detail.

In the end, he would defy the Heaven that banished him and enter battle for as long as he was alive...

For as long as no one was able to prove his meaningless existence by erasing him as the zero he was.

He closed his eyes as he bid farewell to the enemies he had just met. They did well, but not nearly as he desired, that was for sure.

Four strikes were heard in that instant, inviting him to open his eyes once more.

"What do we have here...?" A sly male voice he hadn't heard said without a care in the world. "It looks like you became stronger, yes... But still, if you're letting yourself be controlled by the likes of these monsters, you still have a long way, Hiyori" The blonde man grinned at his friend as she was on safe ground.

"Ungh..." She held her haid in pain, her Hollow armor breaking and leaving only her mask. "What was that for, you goddamn bald?!"

She didn't realize what she had said until that last moment.

"Huh? Sh-Shinji..." Her eyes glistened a bit as she noticed the current situation.

"Great, it looks like a good hit in the head is enough to make them snap" Kensei said as he helped Hachi get up.

"Ow... That _did_ hurt quite a bit" The big man complained as the same thing occurred to his transformation. "I-It's you!"

"And who else would it be...?" Rose helped Love. "Such an unexpected entrance in the most climactic moment of the battle could only be the work of an artist like me..."

"Tch... Don't speak as if you were alone" Love replied in protest, but was really grateful.

"Oi, Kensei! Now we get to beat that big guy up, right?!" Mashiro eagerly exclaimed as she took Lisa's hand.

"Be careful... He's nowhere near what we've faced before" Lisa warned them.

"Oh, we know that very well, and we didn't want to fall behind you either" Shinji said in reply. "We learned quite some things about your Complete Hollow transformation"

"Yeah? Like what?!" Hiyori spat back.

"For example, using _Descorrer _to reach Hueco Mundo from directly from the Dangai. We met some new faces and were guided to the Kimon. Once in this Hell, we simply followed your Reiatsu and got to this place, only to see that you were all acting like total beasts, so we gave you a little 'waky waky' in the head infused with Reiatsu to make sure that you came back to normal. To be honest... I don't really get what's going on here exactly, but one thing is clear..." He pointed _Sakanade _at the Demon as he wore his Hollow mask. "He's the enemy"

"And we're gonna take care of him, so you guys just sit back and relax" Kensei wore his mask and released his Katana. "It's been quite a while since I had the opportunity to fight a real threat! Last time... All I could do was scaring away a trio of female Arrancar that appeared in Karakura" He quickly remembered running across the Tres Bestias during the Hollow Exodus.

"Tch, tch, tch... Thots like those would never have their way with you, Kensei!" Mashiro declared. "I'm the only one worthy of that spot! Riiiight? After all, I'm your Super Lieutenant!" She attempted to snuggle him, but he dodged easily.

"Not now, Mashiro, please..." He facepalmed. "This is a life-threatening encounter, try to take it a bit seriously at least"

"Hmph! Okay!" She pouted, crossing her arms. A second later, she wore her mask and stroke a cool pose.

"Wait- Wait- Wait- Wait a damn second! So that means you guys...!" Hiyori deduced what they had done.

"Yeah, we trained for a very very long time" Shinji replied with a chuckle. "All so that we weren't left behind"

"Shall we start, then? _Kinshara_ is eager to show its true strength..." Rose put on his mask and used Shikai.

"I don't know... What do you think, Demon? Do you habe any problem with us joining in the middle of the fight?" Shinji asked, clearly teasing.

Kachicki's face of surprise turned into a smile as he heard those words, realizing that the fight was not over.

"No, no, not at all! You're more than welcome to join us!" He laughed. "There is only one condition..."

"Really? And what would that be?" Shinji inquired, interested.

"Make sure that this ends as my funeral!" His eyes spitting fire as he roared that. "Let's do this!"

"Kensei, you take the offensive" Shinji commanded in a murmur. "Don't hesitate to give it your all from the start"

"Alright" He accepted.

"Rose, I'll let you unleash your Bankai but wait for my signal..." The blonde continued. "In this moment, take two of them as far as you can so that we don't suffer collateral damage"

"Very well... As long as I have a solo, even if it's for an ephimereal compass" He poetically replied.

"*sigh* Whatever you say..." Shinji said, rolling his eyes. "Mashiro, for now, same thing as Rose. After that, you're free to support us as a ranged fighter"

"Understood, Captain Hirako!" She agreed in an overly formal way, mocking him for taking the lead.

"I'll help you with the monster, Kensei. Let's go, he won't wait much longer" He concluded.

"Right. Here we come!" The other Captain replied. "Bankai: _**Tekken Tachikaze**!"_

Grayish purple bandages covered his arms while in his back appeared an arc of the same material, rising over his head.

"Collapse... _Sakanade_" Shinji limited himself to use Shikai, knowing that going further would not help them under this conditions.

"YEEEEAAAARRRGGHHH!" Kachiki went straight at them, with his four arms controlling the sand remaining in the field. "_Sand Blow!"_

A torrent of cutting sand flew at them at a dangerous speed, but they did not flinch an inch.

Shinji appeared behind the Demon's back, using his special ability to confuse him.

"Yo!" He greeted as _Sakanade_ spinned around his hand.

What the?!" Kachiki muttered as he felt the whole world revolving around him.

"_Sandbag Beat!" _Kensei threw a series of rapid punches, straight at the Prince's stomach.

Kachiki felt how the hits actually damaged his strong body, but he could still withstand it.

"Ragh!" He swinged his axe at Kensei, only to find that he had moved in a completely opposite way of what he intended to do. "Eh...?"

"Looks like I'm gonna have to go even further...!" Kensei raised his Hollow Reiatsu until white cylindrical protrusions grew in his back and forearms, as a white armor layer extended through the rest of his skin.

He repeated the same attack, but now, the _Hollowfied Sandbag Beat_ was truly devastating.

Kachiki spat blood after receiving the last powerful punch of the Vizard, who was also helped by the wind of _Tachikaze_ in order to get enough power to deal the enemy an important amount of damage.

"Well done, Kensei!" Mashiro shouted from the distance as she shot two green _Ceros_ from her legs. "Now it's my turn!" She said as she let her Zanpakutou out of the sheath. "Buzz around, _Jouu Bachi!"_

Her Zanpakutou changed into blue Reiatsu that flowed through her. Then, a Sai appeared in each hand.

"Mashiro is using... Her Zanpakutou?" Lisa wondered.

"I guess Kensei accepted to teach her how to use it well during the time they were in the Dangai" Love commented.

"We shall see what she has learned in that case. I was never good with my Zanpakutou in terms of swordsmanship but... I can always release it so that-"

"No, Hachi" Love stopped him. "Like it or not, we've used up almost all of our Reiatsu, Hollow and Shinigami. Nothing good can come out of forcing it anymore"

"I agree" Hiyori nodded. "As long as they keep this pace, baldy and the others don't need our help. It's better not to be a hindrance, though I hate to admit that would be the case" She bit her lip.

"Actually... Out of mere curiosity. Have you ever used your Zanpakutou in battle?" Lisa asked Hachi.

"No. Not once" Hachigen shook his head. "It is not really 'dangerous' or anything, but it does unlock a potential in my Kidou Tessai-san described as... Potentially catastrophic"

"Damn..." Hiyori was amazed. "I'd like to see that one day..."

Hachigen remembered the words of his master for a moment, back when he was in Soul Society:

_"I believe... You might have what it takes to learn the most dangerous spells of all Kidou, but to use them, releasing your Zanpakutou is a must, and even then... You should be extremely careful"_

_"Are you referring to Bankin and... Goryutenmetsu?" Hachigen asked, stranged as he already studied those enchantments._

_"No..." Tessai denied. "I'm talking about two secret techniques, only known by the Chief of Kidou Corps, and only passed down from one to another personally"_

_"Huh?" Hachi seemed amused._

_"I'm talking about the zenith of the Path of Binding and the Path of Destruction. Bakudou 100 and... Hadou 100"_

He came back to witnessing the battle as a shiver went down his spine. The secret techniques were not known by anyone else in the present. Only Tessai and him knew about that power, and as things were, it was likely that the techniques would die with them.

"Maybe it is better that way..." Hachi concluded thinking.

Mashiro attacked Kachiki with quick slashes of her Sai, leaving blue marks of Reiatsu through his body.

"And now... Time to sting!" From her Sai, hundreds of thousands of small Reiatsu bees attacked every spot that had been spotted by her Zanpakutou.

Kachiki, still troubled by Shinji's ability, could only jump and move his arms around helplessly, in an intent to either block, dodge or attack. Whatever happened, was fine with him, as long as it had an effect.

"This is a bothersome ability... But I must find a way to beat it...!" He anxiously thought, having more reasons to continue struggling in order to fight them. "_Earth Pus: Salvation!"_

He hit the ground with the giant mace, forcing the magma to come out from newly formed stalagmites.

The battling Vizards dangerously evaded the heat as they continued their relentless siege.

Rose also joined the party, elegantly swinging his whip-like Zanpakutou, punishing the Prince with every hit.

"I'm waiting..." He melodically said to Shinji, remarking how he wanted to.use his Bankai.

"Good for you" The blonde replied, slashing the Demon multiple times as he dismissed his partner's wish.

"Now, Shinji... I think we should end it as soon as possible" Kensei told him."Each of his attacks is more accurate than the last. If this goes on... Your ability won't be an advantage anymore"

"I know, but this guy is sturdy as this very Hell! I wanted to make sure that we can finish him off in a single barrage, you know?" Shinji replied. "But you guys are right... Rose, do it"

"My pleasure..." He made a reverence.

"Mashiro, go back" Kensei ordered.

"Okay!"

"Bankai: _**Kinshara Butoudan**"_

Large hands of the same golden string as _Kinshara_ appeared in the air, one holding a baton, which commanded the troupe of Rose's Dancers of Death.

"Hm... Which attack should be the prologue to this masterpiece?" Rose wondered.

"Sorry but you're gonna have to go straight to the 'Grand Final', otherwise we'll be all dead" Shinji noted as he looked at the Primce, who was now attacking swiftly with his axe and mace, which created fierce elemental attacks.

"Tsk... What a bad taste" Rose commented as he prepared his strongest attack. "**_Ein Heldenleben_**_"_

With an epic conclusion, the large hands commanded the dancers to encircle Kachiki, not leaving him a single route of escape as they started to wrap them in their strings.

"Woah... This power... It's gonna hurt... It's gonna tear me to pieces!" He chuckled. "Will it be able to kill me?"

As soon as he was covered in strings, the hands ordered that there was sound.

As soon as the strings vibrated with music, a cupola of yellow Reiatsu engulfed Kachiki, who could feel his whole body breaking due to the illusion created by Rose, losing a pair of hearts in the process.

"Kgh...! That was... Incredible" He grinned. "Now I only got 3 left..."

As a Majin, his regenerative prowess recovered his broken bones in a couple seconds, allowing him to stand up even after the fierce attack.

"But... That's supposed to be the 'Grand Finale', isn't it?" Rose was shocked.

"Not with this guy, apparently" Shinji replied. "Kensei, Mashiro! Just like we practiced, now!"

Kensei stroke the air multiple times with his fists and blades, throwing a series of wind slashes and waves, charged with green Reiatsu.

Mashiro threw the Sai in the air and kicked them with great force, embedding each blade with a blue Reiatsu.

"_Mashiro Ultra Kick!" _Two giant blue slices of Reishi flew straight at Kachiki.

"Argh!" Kachiki complained, while still refusing to give up.

"It won't be enough! Let's do something! Anything!" Hiyori ordered the rest of the group.

"Yes!" They all agreed.

Hiyori fired a triple pink _C__ero_ at the Prince, complemented by an orange _Cero_ from Hachi, an indigo one from Lisa and a red one from Love.

"Heh... I knew you'd end up doing something" Shinji chuckled.

"It ain't much... But it's honest work!" Hiyori spat.

"I can't sit idly while everyone is so motivated... Let's do this!" Rose connected six strings of _Kinshara_, and started a totally facemelting Shred.

"It's happening..." Kachiki embraced the pain. "My life... Is being erased"

"And... Just to make sure this guy stays dead..." Shinji raised his Hollow Reiatsu as well.

Turned into his Complete Hollow form, he cut his hand and said:

"_Gran Rey Cero!"_

From his palm, a giant violet beam appeared, erasing everything in its path as it reached the Demon's body.

Kachiki could finally experiemce the feeling he had fought for his whole life.

The feeling of defeat.

The sensation of loss.

The idea of death.

But even in that moment, he couldn't possibly be more alive.

His three remaining hearts were crushed at the same time, obliterated by the rainbow finishing move done by the eight Vizards.

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet.

All those forms of Reiatsu had to collide in order to destroy him once and for all.

It was a fine day to die, and an epic way of dying as well.

Kachiki perished doing what he loved most. Maybe he was a beast his whole life, but at least, he could bid farewell to immortality dying in battle, completely overpowered by his enemies.

"Goodbye... Arikado" He thought. "I might've never faced you again... But I'm sure... My energy will flow... All this violence will go somewhere... And somehow... Mark my words... We'll meet again... For the last time... In the battlefield..."

Kachiki's existence disappeared with a rainbow flash that turned white in the last moment, exploding massively and sending the eight Vizards flying through the arena.

"Geez..." Shinji complained. "I never thought that we would make such a mess"

A big hole was left in the spot where the Prince had been destroyed. The only trace being a cloud of disgusting dark energy that flew in another direction.

"What is that...?" Hiyori asked, a bit frightened.

"It must be what made us act like monsters" Lisa determined.

"Well... In any case, what should we do now?" Love asked. "I'm not really in condition to help anybody so..."

Kensei and Shinji went back to normal, so everyone also wore off their masks.

"Ichigo is ahead, he'll be alright" Shinji trusted him. "I am more worried about _us_ to be honest"

"What do you mean?" Lisa asked, still not realizing what had happened.

"Oh my..." Hachigen felt like fainting.

The whole crowd of Demons was coming for them, as the lake of lava had dried along with Kachiki's death.

There were easily a couple thousands of them, and they didn't look weak either.

"Shit... In our state... I doubt we can fight that!" Hiyori spouted.

"True" Kensei agreed. "I'm not really exhausted but... So many of them are gonna be a bit of trouble"

"What are we gonna do?" Mashiro asked her friends as the creatures only got closer, scaling to the arena.

"You all...? Run" Shinji ordered. "I'll take care of them"

"What?!" Hiyori couldn't believe it. "Don't be ridiculous, baldy, you gotta go with us! We're still in time!"

"Yes, but they are still gonna give trouble to someone else. I won't allow that, and I have the means to do it" Shinji replied. "However, I need you all to leave as fast as you can. I won't be able to do anything if you're still inside the area of my Reiatsu which, I don't really wanna brag... But it's pretty damn massive" He grinned proudly.

"I understand" Kensei nodded, as he knew about his Bankai. "Everyone, let's go. We'll only put him at risk if we stay any longer"

"Okay..." The rest accepted, a bit doubtful, but sensibly.

"You better come back in one piece... Or else I'll make sure to chop you to pieces!" Hiyori threatened him, being very worried.

"And stay the size of a shrimp like you? No, thank you..." He teased in the end.

"Grr..." Hiyori growled.

"Hey, what are you waiting for?" Lisa called her attention.

"Nothing. Let's go!" Hiyori ran with them.

Shinji sighed as he looked at the carbon stampede that was coming for him and his friends.

"What a day... Three years in that place..." He remembered the Dangai. "...Only to see myself in this mess. It better be worth it, Ichigo..."

Just as the Demons were reaching him, he sensed the presence of Hachi, the slowest, disappearing from his field of Reiatsu.

"Well, that about does it..." Shinji grinned as he raised _Sakanade_ with pride. "Bankai...

_**Sakasama Yokoshima Happou Fusagari**"_

~~~~X~~~~

Ichigo continued clashing against Kurokage, who had a completely black Katana with a strange shifting Tsuba.

"You sure like resisting, Kurosaki..." The Demon hissed. "You know you can't win, you have no way of truly destroying me!"

"Shut up. Even if that's true, I learn quick. I'll find a way to kill you, just you wait!" Ichigo spouted back, slashing a barrage of _Getsuga Tenshou_ at the shadow. "I just have to wait for Urahara to arrive. Until then, all I gotta do is take the least damage and use as little Reiatsu as possible... Otherwise I won't be able to face Yama" He thought.

"_Kageoni!" _The Shadow clearly mocked Shunsui.

"What in the world...? That is!" He widened his eyes.

"I know what you're thinking, but I'd like to remind you that shadows belonged to me millions of years before that Captain even existed!"

"Really...?" Ichigo pretended not to be impressed. "What really surprised me is that after all those years you haven't matured a little bit... Playing silly games like some spoiled brat!" Ichigo destroyed his shape, though that was just temporary.

The shadow reassembled itself, way more pissed.

"Enough with games!" Kurokage declared, taking a bit of distance. "Swallow the light... _**Erebu****s**!" _The Duke transformed into the full shadow entity, becoming unkillable through any known means as dual shadow daggers appeared in his vanta black hands, though he decided to save them for later, apparently. "How about a bit of art? I'm pretty good at forming shapes with my hands. Would you mind taking a look at them?"

"What?" Ichigo asked confused, only for him to shake his head and attack him without any other doubt.

"Heheheh... _Blackmore!"_

A giant dragon of shadows rose, spitting black fire at him.

"Huh? This actually... Burns!" Ichigo thought as he noticed. "How is he...?"

"What happened? Suddenly you aren't so talkative. It's just as if... A cat bit your tongue..." He transformed the dragon into a shadow tiger's head, moving his hands as if they were two big jaws crunching their prey.

"What a bothersome ability... He can do literally anything!" Ichigo thought. "All I can do for now, is destroy him and his shadows before he can get me" He pointed his finger at him. "_Cero Luna!"_

The white and red beams were smaller, but it was enough for Ichigo to control the situation a bit more, but it was far from perfect.

As soon as the figures died, the shadow remainings joined Kurokage, making him stronger.

The body of him grew larger and changed form into a contorted creature, having an indefinite shape and size, constantly swifting.

"What... In the actual... Fuck...?!"

Kurokage simply replied with a monstrous screech, attacking him with his continous morphing ability.

"Nel... Ulquiorra... You have no idea how lucky you are!" He exclaimed as he continued fighting the terribly troublesome enemy.

* * *

**Here it is, the conclusion to the three Princes, though not the last part of this Sub-Arc. This one took a while longer because I had to check the other Vizard's abilities and concepts in order to create a dynamic and cohesive fight, but I hope it was worth it.**

**Next time, we'll see the rest of the encounter with the Duke of Shadows, as well as the re-introduction of the only missing Duke: V.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Another fantastic chapter! I cannot wait for the next chapter! Am I correct in assuming Halibel has reached her Etapa Finale? From what I recall, it's Regular Resurrecion, Segunda Etapa, and then Etapa Finale/Beyond Resurrecion right?_**

**_But yea. Good work! I hope Grimmjow will get HIS own Etapa Finale in the future too! I also hope he saw how Halibel "looked" at him; almost as if giving him a look of pride instead of that one look in where he always felt "pitied" back when he was an enemy to Ichigo._**

**Reply: I ended up adding the confirmation that yes, that transformation is Harribel's _Etapa Final_ (not 'Finale' cause it's in Spanish, by the way). The order is correct though. Basically, third stage is _Etapa Final_.**

**One day, Grimmjow will get there too, don't worry. It kinda reminds me of how Vegeta wanted to become a Super Saiyan actually, lol**, **and his relationship with Ichigo is pretty similar to what happens with Goku as well.**

**See you next time! Evhron Out.**

**Glosary:**

_**Orochi ****Nikuya: **_**Giant Snake Butchery.**

**_Suisei Maisou: _Aquatic Burial.**

**_Kaze Kakusei Uchiwa: _Wind Waking ****Fan_._**

**_Kami o Utsu Kaminari: _God-Striking Thunder.**

**_Orochi no Minagoroshi: _Orochi's Massacre. Orochi is an eight headed giant snake of Japanese mythology.**

**_Jouu Bachi: _Queen Bee. Mashiro's Zanpakutou. She has only reached Shikai stage.**


	33. Of Sins And Shadows

Ichigo dodged a multiple attack of ominous shadow orbs that the shapeshifting Demon shot from monstrous mouths that appeared and disappeared.

"Kgh..." He blocked an exploding orb in the nick of time, feeling a shiver down his spine as the explosion left an unpleasant feeling along with a dark haze. "What is this...?"

"WWWRAAAGHHH!!!" Kurokage roared as he prepared another round of shots to overwhelm Ichigo.

The Arrancar did not even faze at that intent, however, using _Velocidad_ to dodge every blast impeccably.

"_Cero Luna" _He attacked, the white moon light erasing traces of the shadow form.

Kurokage screamed in agony as he felt actual pain. "No way...!" He thought.

"Could it be...?" Ichigo noticed that his tactic actually worked. "It is possible that his current form allows him to materialize shadows, but by doing so... He is no longer intangible!"

Kurokage could see in Ichigo's eyes that he had discovered his weakness.

"So he managed to see through me, even if it was by luck..." He thought, going back to his previous form. "I see you are not as incompetent as I thought you were in the beginning..."

"Well that was _your_ mistake, not mine" Ichigo replied, salting the wound, as he knew how that would make the Demon even more pissed. "Just like you failed now, showing me the way to kill you"

"Tsk... Anyway, if you think that's enough to finish me off... Dream on" Kurokage mocked him. "It's true. By using _Graven Image,_ I can transform my body into the creature you just saw. The reason I'm unkillable is because my existence is merely bidimensional when I'm a shadow..."

"Let me guess" Ichigo interrumpted. "Every time you attack, you become a tridimensional shadow, hence you are able to touch me, but I'm also able to touch _you_"

"Not so fast" Kurokage refuted. "Even in three dimensions, a shadow is still a shadow. That's why... The only attacks that work are Light-based ones. The rest will only disassemble my body, so I can reassemble it afterwards" He explained. "I won't lie. Those Light attacks actually _do_ damage, but as long as I have bidimensional fragments laying around, which can be literally anywhere in my Reiatsu's Area, I am undying"

"Is that so...?" Ichigo chuckled. "Then, I'll just have to force you to use even the last bit of Reiryoku you have!" He charged his horns with Reiatsu, increasing the area of his attack. "_Cero Luna!"_

Kurokage simply returned to his bidimensional state, untouchable by Ichigo's light.

"Fool..." He laughed as he appeared behind him, attempting to stab him with his Shadow Daggers. "It's worthless for as long as I am in my true form..."

Ichigo escaped him, slashing a white and red _Getsuga Tenshou, _in hope of getting him before he came back to 2D.

Unfortunately, the change was quicker than that. Kurokage was so experienced at using his abilities that going from 2D to 3D was as natural as breathing or blinking.

"Hehehe... That would've actually hurt, if it could touch me, of course" He grinned, although his appearance was a mere humanoid blackness. "It's funny actually..."

"What are you talking about? What's funny about all this?! Everything seems like a game for you and it's pissed me off since the start!"

"Oh, please, calm yourself a little..." Kurokage replied in a carefree manner. Seriously, his emotions were as changing as his form. "What's ironic, to be precise, is that my power is actually a pretty weak one" He started explaining. "At first, I only worked as a spy of Yama-sama, cause my attacks were futile in my bidimensional state, and shifting into the three-dimensional shadow you know was something incredibly hard for me to pull off"

"Is that... True?" Ichigo widened his eyes, sincerely amused by that confession.

"I'm afraid so" Kurokage nodded. "In spite of that, my desire to be of use to Yama-sama in all ways possible, pushed me to make an unimaginable effort in order to control that change"

"So... You weren't actually the combat type"

"No, not at all. I wasn't born that way, I had zero talent, but... All of that... Doesn't hold any relevance. I exist, because Yama-sama created me, experimenting with the use of Negative Energy and Ethereal Essence. The flesh and bones I have today, have been achieved after an awfully long process, and a terribly painful one too. My first centuries, I wasn't more than an unstable dark entity, unable to even truly exist in this world for more than a couple seconds. However, Yama-sama never gave up. He believed in me, he nurtured me, he perfected me, and now... I am able to repay him in the only way possible..." He fused his two daggers into a long Shadow Blade. "...Dedicating my whole life to him"

"I see" Ichigo replied, seeing everything more clearly. "Even in your madness, your sense of loyalty is admirable. I won't deny that" He admitted. "However, I'm also loyal to the people I'm fighting for, so I cannot afford to lose. In all honesty, I couldn't care less if you rebelled against the Old Gods and started a war between the two Worlds... But you put my friends' lives in the line, and while you may believe that such thing is meaningless for immortal beings linke you, I'm not gonna stay indifferent while you threaten them. I'm gonna do everything in my power to crush you, Yama, Aizen, and whoever attempts to hurt them. Now, as a King, I can only feel a greater responsibility, having a much greater group to look after, but my purpose won't change. This is who I am!"

Ichigo's Reiatsu rose as he concluded that speech, shaking and even collapsing the space around him.

"*sigh* You mortals would never understand..." Kurokage shook his head. "The only ones who can truly die, is us. You, were given a special contract that made you actually immortal, only dying like us when the cycle is unbalanced, which happens quite frequently due to the imperfection of said design, but even so, most of you are, in practical terms, truly immortal. If you die, you will just reincarnate in the other side of the cycle, as simple as that. We, on the other hand, die irreversibly. Once we are killed, that's it. There's no second chances, no middle term. Our lives are inherently more precious than yours!"

"And who decided that?" Ichigo refuted. "Be it the Gods, the Demons... It doesn't matter. Even if our souls are to never end, our lives are still one of a kind. The experiences, the friends, the lessons learned... They are all part of a single lifetime, not of an endless cycle. You can't possibly claim to have more value just because _you_ don't understand the real worth of a life! Be it mortal or immortal... It holds the same right to exist!"

Kurokage was really amazed at such display of ideas. Up to that point, he didn't see any importance in the lives of 'mortal Souls', but Ichigo had a point, and one he had never considered.

"You have a very interesting point of view, I won't say the contrary. But even so, that doesn't change the fact that our existence can only become truly fulfilling by sacrificing yours and your friends" He concluded. "There's no turning back anymore. We have no choice but to go on with the plan that Yama-sama started back when he was the God of Energy. As eye-opening as this discussion turned out to be... I'm afraid that it's all reduced to a belic encounter to decide which point stands"

"Hmph... I imagined something like this would happen" Ichigo accepted. "In the end, a fight will never truly prove who was right or wrong... Even less a war... But whoever stands victorious, is the only one able to decide which ideas remain and which are cast aside"

"True" Kurokage agreed. "In reward for this surprisingly enlightening conversation, I will give those two a chance to escape, though I doubt they'll take it..." He referred to Nel and Ulquiorra.

"Kurokage, right?" Ichigo used his name, respectfully. "I hope you understand that I... Can't forgive what you did to my people. However, I promise to save any Demon that wants to step back from this conflict, and... I'll do everything I can to make your Master change his mind" He vowed. "I'm sure that he must also have his reasons to do all this... No one does this kind of effort just because they can or cause they felt like it, so I'm gonna try to find the root of this problem"

"Really?" Kurokage chuckled. "What a formidable enemy you turned out to be, Kurosaki Ichigo, in all senses of the word. I take back the awful things I said about you and your friends. I... I really lost my mind after Ulquiorra's betrayal and... One thing I cannot stand is that someone dishonors Yama-sama"

"I can see why, so I forgive you for that at least" Ichigo concluded. "Now, shall we end this?"

"Absolutely. I won't hold back" He let

"Neither will I..." He prepared his Reiatsu scythe to receive the Duke's attacks. "_Muerte Negra"_

"Very well then..." Kurokage put his hands in a praying position as his blade floated above his head. "_Shadow Moses"_

Every shadow from a physical object was attracted towards Kurokage, who stood still as a never-ending darkness became a part of him, at the same time as his flying sword grew a lot in size.

Once the process ceased, Kurokage raised broke the position to create a tremendous amount of literal shadow clones.

"Kage... Bushin?" Ichigo murmured.

"I know what you're thinking, but no, they are much more than that..." He clarified. "They are shadows, and as such, they are anything I want them to be"

"Then this is gonna be one hell of a fight..."

Kurokage simply nodded as he snapped his fingers, commanding his shadows to go after Ichigo.

A hundred dark souls were running after him as he stood in the same spot, waiting for them.

"Well, at the very least, I got him to use all the shadows in the place. If I erase them all, maybe I can finish him off even before Urahara arrives"

The clones changed their arms into different weapons, some blades, other maces, a variety of clubs and lances... Everywhere he looked a shadow was coming for him with a killing tool.

Ichigo aimed his Hollow Zanpakutou at the floor, creating a white and red expansive wave as soon as the metal touched the ground.

The closest handful of shadows was instantly disintegrated, while the rest waited for the counter move to disappear.

As soon as the wave disappeared, Ichigo swinged _Las Noches_ to throw a barrage of white and red _Getsuga Tenshou_ at the rest of the shadows, eliminating another group.

He had done well so far, but the amount of shadows was still uncountable.

To make things worse, the floating Shadow Claymore started coming for him as well, rolling, slicing and dicing through the air at a gruesome speed.

Ichigo clashed his scythe with the Shadow Blade, which showed him that he was barely able to push it away.

As soon as he did so, however, more shadows approached him with a killing intent, not giving him a single second to breathe.

"Fuck... They're everywhere!" He thought as he blasted a barrage of _Cero Luna _at the group, only for the one true Kurokage to approach him from behind, holding a pair of daggers he made with his own shadows, while the great Shadow Blade covered his back.

Ichigo managed to act in time, blocking the Demon's slashes with his two Zanpakutou.

"Amazing" Kurokage praised. "But... Is this your limit? Cause if it is... Even if you somehow defeat me, you won't be able to survive what lies beyond that door"

They continued clashing, Ichigo constantly having to worry about his surroundings in order to survive.

"What... Are you talking about? Yama is there, isn't he?" Ichigo panted.

"Well, yes, but... He's not the only one left"

"Oh, you're referring to... The Four Horsemen!" Ichigo exclaimed with a broad slash of his two swords, throwing a _Getsuga Juujishou _at the Duke.

"No, actually... They are not even here" Kurokage sacrificed some of his clones to protect himself.

"What?! You mean...!" Ichigo thought the worse.

"No... it's not that, you can rest assured" Kurokage denied. "The Four Horsemen are not in Hueco Mundo right now. They are somewhere else... Preparing a siege on Soul Society"

"What?!" That didn't make him feel any better. "Everyone..." He thought about the rest of his Shinigami friends.

"I imagine that's not really good news either, but if what you told me is true, then you should be able to call off the invasion"

"Well... It's not gonna be so easy but... I'll do everything I can to do it!" Ichigo's eyes looked at him with determination. "I will defeat you, Kurokage and stop Yama once and for all!"

"Heh, I'm not really on your side, you know? But I gotta say, your confidence is quite cunning"

The shadows merged into one giant mass that grew behind him.

"This is the end, isn't it...?" Ichigo grinned, feeling in his skin the danger that was shaping before his eyes.

"I haven't got a more destructive weapon, that's for sure" Kurokage confirmed. "If you somehow erase all these shadows... You will certainly kill me"

"I see..."

"But, Kurosaki Ichigo... I don't think that's really possible, you know?" Kurokage sighed. "I didn't really want to break it to you, but even after all this effort, it's clear that you don't have a way to dispose of me. Even worse than that... Is the fact that I doubt you or anyone would be able to make Yama-sama come to his senses at this point"

"What...? What do you mean?" Ichigo inquired.

"His heart is tainted with Negative Energy at this point. All that's left inside him, is hate, rage and revenge. In fact... I believe the one he hates the most, is not a God" Kurokage revealed. "It is you, Kurosaki Ichigo"

"Huh?" Ichigo didn't seem to understand.

"I don't know why... You see, there are things he would never tell anyone, not even us" The Demon explained. "There has always been a monstrous darkness inside of him, one that I cannot seem to comprehend with my knowledge of his past. It is a deep hatred... And I'm pretty sure, it's to you and your kind. Yama-sama despises Hollows more than anything else"

"But... Why?" He couldn't understand.

"*sigh* That is something I tried my whole life to get out of him. I am the one he entrusted his deepest secrets to... Yet, that is something he never even tried mentioning. This idea is something I got after carefully watching his behaviour throughout countless eras. If he had actually told me, I wouldn't reveal it, to anyone... But I believe, that whatever reason he has... Goes way deeper than any reason he has to hate Takemagahara and the Old Gods"

"In that case... I'll make sure to uncover it and make him snap! I'm sure that if I know the cause of his hatred, I will be able to make him understand" Ichigo claimed. "Like I said before, the only reasons I have to be his enemy is the damage he's causing to my friends and the other people I care. I'm not his sworn enemy and yet... It appears that I am his for some reason"

"Well, that's something I'll leave in your hands... if you can escape the shadows, that is..." Kurokage charged his blade with the great dark mass. "_**Shadow of Eternal Sin**!"_

Ichigo exhaled, clearing his mind.

"Time to survive... Somehow..." He looked within his being, a way that allowed him to protect himself from an attack of this magnitude. "I am an Arrancar now... There must be something I...!" He remembered what happened when he saw how Aizen betrayed Soul Society. "That's it! Now, let's just hope it works"

The Shadow Blade touched the ground, exploding in a total chaos of attacks that engulfed everything in the area.

Explosions, swords, lances, arrows, beams, whirlwinds, flames, thorns, lightnings... It was an unimaginable mess of attacks that could easily obliterate an army in a single wink.

Kurokage waited inside a dark coccoon, expecting to find the King of Hueco Mundo turned to dust.

"Argh... I knew this would happen" He said bitterly as he opened his eyes while exiting his barrier. "What on Earth...?" He stared in shock at his enemy.

A force field red square beams was surrounding him as he had his hand on one of the walls, protecting him from any damage he could have taken.

Ichigo panted as the barrier disappeared, falling to his knees and returning to his base form, as such a powerful defense consumed a lot of his Reiatsu.

"Ungh... That was a lot more draining than I expected it would be"

"You can't... How...? You...!" Kurokage was at loss for words. "That technique can only be used by other Menos to protect their kin, yet... You did it on your own!"

"_Barrera Negación" _Mugetsu chuckled as he whispered the name of said technique inside Ichigo's mind.

"I see..." Ichigo understood what he had done. "I guess I am a special Hollow... After all..."

"Amusing. However... You won't be able to defeat me in that state" Kurokage replied. "It's over, Kurosaki Ichigo"

He walked to him and pointed a smaller shadow sword at him, preparing to end his life.

"Yeah... It _is_ over" Another voice whispered in Kurokage's ear.

He immediately tried to attack the owner of the voice with the blade, only managing to make the meddler droo his hat.

A light-blonde man evaded his slash as he chuckled and grabbed his striped hat from the floor.

"Ura...hara...!" Ichigo exclaimed with difficulty.

"You sure went through a lot, Kurosaki-san..." He muttered. "But don't worry, I'm here to end it"

"Oh? And how do you think you're gonna do that? I can easily tell you are strong, but he is way stronger and you can see where he got. Strength means nothing in a fight against me" Kurokage replied with tedium.

"I know. You are a shadow, and as such, you are untouchable through conventional means" Urahara replied calmly.

"Exactly. Then...?"

"You see, I'm particularly good at finding unconventional solutions" He replied. "I also had to make quite the effort on my own so I could both design and use this... But believe me, it's gonna be worth it" He made a hand movement Ichigo recognized in an instant.

"That is...!"

"_Hadou 90 (Another): Shirohitsugi"_

A white Reiatsu coffin with yellow frames encased Kurokage, who had embedded every shadow within him. There was no escape.

"You gotta be kidding me..." He said to himself, half amazed, half scared. He was going to die after all, despite all his different powers. "If it is like I think it is... I'm dead. Well made, this technique transcends the concepts of space... Maybe even time to some extent. Oh well, I'll find out soon enough"

Kurokage thought one last time about the fight he had just experienced, as well as the face of his master.

"Yama-sama... Please, listen to what this mortal has to say. He's impulsive, impolite and pathologically stubborn... But I'm sure, he's the only one who can help you defeat your own demons..."

The white light of the coffin disintegrated every dark particle of his being, erasing his existence completely.

Ichigo stood still, in a state of shock. Saying he was in disbelief would fall short.

"No... Way..."

"Wow, Kurosaki-san, I never thought that my little trick would leave you so surprised" Urahara smiled at him, extending his hand.

Ichigo looked at it for a couple seconds, feeling lost. It was like playing a game in first-person. He saw everything from that perspective, but he didn't feel he actually _was_ the one living that.

Then, his eyes focused the hand clearly, and he took it without any further delay, standing up again.

"What did just happen?" He asked the blonde man.

"I told you I would take care of him, didn't I? You sound like you didn't believe that was possible"

"No, I... I was actually buying time for you to arrive at first... But, after fighting him so seriously... My mind kinda forgot what I was doing in the first place"

"Oh... But anyways, you look pretty good. A couple scratches here and there, but your body should heal soon"

"Yeah... Though, I lost a lot of Reiatsu" He replied, feeling a bit dizzy. "I used some kind of... Personal _Negación,_ and it wasn't for free"

"Oh, believe me, I know the feeling. How do you think I'm doing after using such a high level technique? And a custom one as well!"

"Damn, you're right..." Ichigo admitted.

The gate that had been sealed by Kurokage earlier slowly opened again, revealing Ulquiorra in _Etapa Final_ and Nel in _Segunda Etapa_.

"Ichigo!" The two said in unison running to his side.

Nel, of course, hugged him strongly.

"Ichi! Are you alright? You look so tired... Let me heal your wounds!" She licked a little scratch he had on his face.

"Wait... Nel... You are... Crush...ing" He was about to pass out as he fell once again.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!!!" She was about to cry, and forced herself to return to her base form so that she wouldn't exert so much pressure.

Ulquiorra did the same to save his strength.

"I can see you're as caring as always, Nel-chan" Urahara told her. "Don't worry, he's just with a Reiatsu deficit"

"And how is he going to fight the Demon King then?" Ulquiorra inquired, worried about their objective.

"That's why... I have these!" He got a tupper with nice-looking Onigiri inside.

"Rice?" Nel asked stranged. "How is that gonna help? I mean, I'm sure he's hungry but-"

"Hahaha! Looks silly, doesn't it? But don't let its appearance trick you" Urahara refuted. "These are not normal Onigiri. I asked the 'Ruler of Grain' herself to make these..."

"Ruler of... Grain...?" Ulquiorra was also puzzled.

"Yep. She's my predecessor as Captain of Squad 12... She doesn't live in the Seireitei though"

"No? Was she banished like you?" Nel asked innocently.

"Ahahahaha! No, no... Quite on the contrary" Urahara chuckled. "She was promoted to a special division in charge of protecting the Soul King: Squad Zero"

"I didn't know about such thing, although I did know that the Soul King was in a different plain, thanks to Aizen" Ulquiorra commented.

"Yes... Aizen was pretty much obsessed with the idea of becoming a new Soul King, so he deeply investigated those things" Urahara replied. "Now, going back to the food, try to feed him a couple, Nel-chan"

"Yes!" She agreed, taking the Onigiri.

"You two are fine, right?" Urahara made sure.

"Yeah, Kurokage isolated Ichigo and left us behind the gate, so nothing happened. We tried to force our way out, but it was useless" Ulquiorra answered.

Nel carefully fed her loved one an Onigiri.

"Ichigo, eat up" She offered the food, blushing as she smiled sweetly at him.

"A-Ah" He accepted the meal, almost passing out due to his lack of Spiritual Pressure.

At first, he barely bit the rice cake, but bite after bite, he felt more recovered.

"Another one?" She asked him after he finished the first.

"Yeah! It's delicious!" He took it with his own hands this time, and devoured it quickly. He ate two more like that, feeling completely recovered. "What is this?!" He asked Urahara, astonished due to the food's effect.

"Tu put it simply, Enhanced Food. The lady who made these is able to infuse her Reiatsu in the ingredients of what she makes, so just by eating a simple meal as this, you should be able to recover almost completely"He explained. "Actually, would you mind giving me the last one, Nel-chan? I'm a bit drained as well"

"Oh, sure!" She did as he requested. "I was so worried about Ichigo that I forgot about you, sorry"

"No, it's okay" He replied, taking a bite. "It's normal for a wife to worry about her husband's stomach over anything else"

"W-W-Wife...?" Ichigo remembered the time he told Nel about marriage.

"What is she then? At this point, she's clearly not just a girlfriend anymore" He giggled.

"You're right. It's just a bit strange hearing it. But... I sure love her that much, and we do share an unbreakable bond" He smiled at her.

"Ichi..." She hugged him in reply, more than happy to hear that.

"Now, with you recovered, I think it's time you take the final step, Ichigo" Urahara reminded him.

"You're right. We have no time to lose" He replied. "Is everyone alright?"

"At least on my end. I can't speak for the rest, but it appears that nothing negative has occurred so far" Urahara replied.

"Let's just hope that's the case" Nel noted, believing that their friends were safe.

"Then... Should we get going, Ichigo?" Ulquiorra inquired.

"Yes. Kurokage mentioned that Soul Society is also at risk of suffering a Demon invasion, at the hands of the Four Horsemen"

"Actually, how did you kill him?" Ulquiorra asked curious.

"That's something you should ask Urahara" Ichigo chuckled.

"Well, I realized that if the reason for his invulnerability was turning into a shadow, I needed an attack that could work for both a bidimensional and tridimensional entity, so that it wouldn't matter in what state he was, he would be affected in any case" The Shinigami explained. "The only attack I know that goes beyond the concept of reality as we know it is well... Aizen's favorite: Hadou 90: _Kurohitsugi, _but I knew that a Dark spell like that wouldn't be able to dissolve a shadow, so I experimented turning the spell into Light nature, thus creating an alternate version of Hadou 90, which is the reason why I add 'Another' to its name. The spell itself is _Shirohitsugi_, and I gotta say, I was the whole day of yesterday trying for it to work... But in the end, it gave a favorable response, so it was worth it"

"Absolutely. Now that damned Demon's gone for good" Ulquiorra said.

"Actually, Ulquiorra, Kurokage wasn't as bad as we thought he was" Ichigo defended him. "After fighting and talking with him, I realized that he never truly understood that our lives had the same value as theirs. Once I made him see that, he was a lot more friendly and even cooperative. He told me acouple things that might come in handy when I talk to Yama"

"Really? I would've never imagined..." Nel noted, as she had inagined him to be the worst scum after hearing about the massacre in Hueco Mundo.

"Still, I can see why Aizen considered you to be the greatest genius" Ulquiorra said to Urahara, amused that the man was able t come up with such an idea, pulling it off in such a short span of time in spite of its complexity.

"Oh, please, you're making me blush, Ulquiorra" The shop owner laughed.

"It was a pretty impressive move, even for you, Urahara" Ichigo agreed with his Primera.

"You left me no other choice" Hat and clogs said in reply. "You've gotten a great amount of outstanding achievements this last month... It's only fair that I make a little extra effort"

"Well, it wasn't a real month for us..." Nel pointed out, as they had been almost three years in the Dangai.

"True that, but the point stands. You're not alone in this" Urahara concluded.

"I share Urahara-san's thoughts" Ulquiorra nodded.

"Yeah, me too" Nel smiled at him.

"I know. Thank you all" Ichigo was really grateful to have them. "Let's go then. Everything will end here, today"

"Are you coming too, Urahara-san?" Nel asked him.

"No. I'll go check up on the rest. Then, I guess I could take a stroll to see how everything's turned out. Do your best" Urahara wished them as he went in the opposite direction.

"Yeah, don't worry" Ichigo replied, walking into the deepest part of Jigoku along his two strongest Espada.

It had been a long journey, and a very difficult one. He and his friends had to face multiple hardships in the way, but it was all finally coming to an end, or at least he thought so.

Descending into the Throne Room, Ichigo took a deep breath, ready to encounter the man behind everything.

They passed through the final gate, ready to engage in combat if things got complicated with the ruler of Hell.

Walking through the white and black marble floor, they approached the skull throne at the end of the chamber.

"Amusing" The white haired man sitting in the throne said as he saw the three Arrancar. "You all defeated my Princes as well as my personal servant. Even if you did it in groups, it is something I'm forced to recognize"

"You must be Yama, King of all Demons, and ruler of Jigoku..." Ichigo spoke.

"That's correct, Kurosaki Ichigo. This is the first time we meet, isn't it? Although I've been aware of you ever since you defied Aizen in Hueco Mundo. That man was an interesting specimen, so seeing someone defy him was a very interesting sight. Now, witnessing your victory... Now that is something that made me especially fixated on your being" He confessed. "You could say, I'm your fan"

"Tsk... I appreciate the kind words, but I know that's not the case" Ichigo contradicted. "You hate me, Kurokage said so"

"He did? Oh... What a loose-mouthed servant" Yama facepalmed elegantly. "While I never told him, it seems that he was more aware of my true feelings than I thought. It is kind of relieving, in any case. I was getting disgusted trying to pretend I liked you"

"But why would you hate Ichigo? He hasn't done anything to you!" Nel exclaimed, indignant.

"Tch, tch, tch... A very rash woman you have as Queen, Kurosaki Ichigo" Yama mocked. "To be honest, I don't only hate him, I hate you three. Your very race is an insult to my being. That's why... I was delighted to revive Ulquiorra. Nothing made me happier than seeing a Hollow massacrating his own kind, ahahahahaha!"

"You bastard...!" Nel frowned, feeling outraged by such comment.

"No, Nel" Ichigo stopped her. "He must have some reason to be this way... I also have my reasons to destroy him from the moment I saw him... But right now... Ending the war is our priority"

"You're right. Sorry"

"So, what would be the reason for this contempt?" Ulquiorra asked him.

"Heh, funny question, coming from the pesky Hollow that betrayed me" Yama grinned, but his look indicated that he was enraged with Ulquiorra. "It's quite simple really. Hollows are the most disgraceful beings to walk the earth. All you do is kill, consume and make others miserable. There is not a single reason anyone would like you"

"That's not...!" Nel muttered.

"What? Not true?" Yama looked at her with a mocking expression. "Just look at yourselves, you have no right to call _me _a monster" He pointed at Ulquiorra. "He used to erase everything in his path" He looked at Nel "And you... You used to be a blood-thirsty slut!"

Ichigo sliced the upper part of the throne in an instant.

"Did I hear right...?" Ulquiorra thought as he looked at Nel, bewildered, and then at Ichigo.

"I have no idea how you know about that... But that was unnecessary, Yama" He threatened, clearly furious after the way he addressed Nelliel.

"Oh, please... I was just stating a fact" Yama excused himself. "People are so easily upset in this age... If you are worthy of being called people that is"

Ichigo was containing his anger as much as he could. He tried to understand how a person could be so naturally unpleasant. However, the current objective forced him to refrain from attacking the Demon King directly.

"Look, I'm not gonna tell you to stop your plans completely. If you want to fight the Old Gods, that's up to you, but leave our world and the others out of this!" Ichigo proposed, trying his hardest not to attempt to cut him in pieces.

"Hm... I'm sorry, but I cannot do that. With my Kamibuki back, there's no reason for me to back down. I can absorb the power from the Heart of Tsukoyomi AND the Soul King" Yama refused. "Worry not, once I deal with the Old Gods, I'll rule over all beings. However... I really need the Hollows to disappear"

"Hmph... I never realized you hated me that much" Ulquiorra said with his indifferent tone.

"It's nothing personal, although you give me reasons for it to be so. In spite of that, you're not nearly important in order to deserve a special form of hatred" Yama mocked him. "Though I cannot say the same of you, Kurosaki Ichigo..."

"Ah, so that's it. _I_ am worthy of a selective form of contempt, aren't I?" Ichigo chuckled. "What's your damn problem with me?!"

"Your soul has a smell that I would never forget... And your looks only confirm it. Those eyes... Those are the same eyes I tried to erase millions of years ago!"

"So it is like Mugetsu suspected... You were the one that convinced Susano'o to raid Hueco Mundo. I was almost certain, but those words confirm it. It is all your fault!" He remembered what his spirit had told him. "And that means... You have a grudge against us that goes way back. You were the ones who instigated that massacre!" He frowned as he painfully remembered the story Mugetsu described.

"Wait, Mugetsu? Are you saying that he's still alive somewhere?!" Yama suddenly lost his cool, his eyes widening in a psychotic look. "Even after I got his Queen killed..."

"ENOUGH!" Ichigo roared outraged. "I'm sorry, Kurokage, but this changes things completely" He muttered to himself. "I can NEVER forgive you!" He spat at the King. "

"Good to see that we think alike. You and Mugetsu share the same soul right now. I thought you were just his reincarnation, but seeing as you've spoken to him, I guess he's still somewhere inside you..." Yama deduced correctly. "Being that the case... I'll make sure to erase you two in one go! And what better way that trying my new creation..."

The King destroyed the floor beneath him by getting his Katana out of the sheath.

"Come, I want to show you something" He grinned evilly as he entered through the hole.

"Get ready for the worst" Ichigo told the other two. "Void, _**Las Noches**!"_

"Enclose, _**Murciélago**!" _Ulquiorra followed, going into _Etapa Final_.

Nel was still doubtful as the words Yama said to her resonated in her head once again:

"Bloodthirsty... Slut..." She muttered to herself, a deep sadness filling her.

"Nel... You know that's not true" Ichigo hugged her, gently pressing her head against his chest.

"Ichi... I... I know that, it may be not true anymore... But... It was... Once" She sobbed.

"So she still hasn't completely gotten over it" Ichigo thought. "It doesn't matter. I promise you, Nel, even if the whole world hates you, I will still love you. I'll always be there for you, so you don't have to suffer"

"Ichi..." She looked him straight in his yellow iris. "Even if I became a monster... Would you still love me?"

"Absolutely. I'd rather be tortured here than leave you alone" He kissed her quickly. "I'd love to tell you to stay here, but I really need your help"

Ulquiorra deviated his look from the two, not jealous or bothered, but a bit sad that he didn't have his other half with him, but touching the mark on his Hollow Hole, was enough to smile warmly.

"I know..." She smiled, washing away her tears. "I'm feeling better now. I just needed to hear that"

"Remember Nel. Your darkness is my darkness as well, so there's nothing you have to hate about your past. The one responsible for the disastrous life Hollows had in the eras that came after the raid is Yama himself, he's the enemy"

"I... I understand. I might never be able to truly atone for my past sins, but at least I'll help you extinguish the life of the one who started it all" She concluded, determined as she went straight into _Segunda Etapa_. "Declare... **_Gamuza_**_"_

Ichigo caressed her face one last time to make sure she felt better, and then he moved on.

"Let's go" He decided, jumping into the hole in the floor.

It was a long fall down, so he had a look at his surroundings before reaching the ground.

The whole chamber was a morbid flesh carnage. The walls and floor were made of humanoid dead bodies that were compressed to each other, forming a huge consistent structure, yet a really grotesque one as well.

Ichigo reached the ground, feeling the cold bodies beneath him.

"What in the name...?" He muttered, staring at the giant sphere of corpses floating in the center of the disturbing place, emanating a dark energy he could not stare for too long without feeling disturbed.

Ulquiorra and Nel fell a moment after him, and their reactions were similar.

"Yuck..." Nel muttered, between a sense of fear and disgust.

Ulquiorra limited himself to glaring in disbelief at the scenery, until he realized what that entity actually was. "Wait, those bodies...!"

"So you recognize it" Yama said, walking down a spiral stairway that rose through the chamber, made of the same meaty material. "However, it is not ready..."

"What do you mean? This thing is already pretty fucked up as it is!" Ichigo spouted back.

"Well... It is a bit unsightly if you see the exterior, but if you could only see the beauty of what lies beneath those layers of decomposing flesh, you'd be able to appreciate its unquestionable beauty" Yama giggled in delight.

"Ulquiorra, what is that?" Nel asked.

"I don't know exactly... But the bodies that form it are most certainly the ones 'V' used to control as its clones. The ground we stand on... Is the same"

"Let me unveil the enigma behind the fifth Duke of Jigoku..." Yama happily explained. "You see, even without my Kamibuki, I was still able to manipulate energy, only to a much more limited extent than what I could with it. By far, my most bothering obstacle was the fact that I couldn't store gigantic amounts of energy inside my weapon, so I couldn't restore the power I used to have as a God...

However... The solution was quite simple. I would have to accumulate that energy in an external source. Of course, the only energy I came across during my administration of Jigoku was Negative Energy, so you can imagine that the artifact I designed holds the most impure and corrupted Darkness you could ever find. Hence, I named this artifact, the Dark Core.

Still, throughout all these ages, there have been counted beings with enough power to fill the Dark Core significantly, so I needed a way to accelerate its evolution... And what a better way than that to use my own Demons, nurtured with that same negativity, to feed my creation?"

"No fucking way...!" Ichigo realized what that meant.

"Exactly! That was the reaction I wanted to see!" Yama exclaimed with pleasure. "I started this whole conflict the moment I regained my Kamibuki, which your human friend pulled off impeccably!"

"Orihime didn't do it on her own and you know it!" Ulquiorra spat, his Reiatsu raising with anger.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is... That the recovery of this weapon..." He displayed his black and white Katana. "...Was the true starting point of my whole plan. I set in motion the first steps to make sure that you wouldn't suspect my true intentions, and I succeeded. All that was left... Was for _you_ to finish the job"

"No..." Nel realized the same thing Ichigo thought earlier.

"You fought my most powerful Demons, forcing them to go beyond their limits! That, was the best way to collect the Negative Energy I had been wanting for so long... The deaths of all the minions that have died so far... Were all carefully calculated, and all planned in a way that my own Demons never realized what was truly occurring. In fact... It was a real pain witnessing things as the purification of my second Duke, or the way in which you spared the traitorous Arikado... But that was fixed with the sacrifices you carried out now.

With the deaths of Kurokage and the three Princes of Jigoku, I could obtain even more energy than the one I had initially estimated!"

"Dammit..." Ichigo confirmed his suspicion, clenching his fist with rage and frustration.

"And now, what is this strange entity you see before yourselves? What is this creature you know as 'V'?" He raised the question. "Very simple. The empty corpses of all the beings I drained of energy were initially disposed in this chamber, but then... I had an idea. Why not make things even more interesting, and at the same time, have a backup plan? That's where THIS steps into the scene" He showed them the sphere. "With the Dark Core as its main heart, I decided to create life out of all that energy I obtained.

Before going to the epic conclusion, 'V' itself, was never a single entity. All the dark souls of the beings that have fed this energy chimera, share a single consciousness inside the Dark Core. That's why, it was impossible for you to kill it completely in its previous state. It has millions of different souls inside that can take another corpse to control.

Now, to complete this fundamental process, I even discarded five of my ten hearts, which was the final step to gestate the being inside this sphere of long-rotten flesh and evil intent. Neberu, is a godly being I can't even imagine. I created something with a potential so great, that not even I know its true form, which grows and develops inside that cocoon as we speak"

"This is just wrong... You're sick!" Ichigo spat as he prepared his two Zanpakutou.

"You're right! I'm sick of the world that those who banished me created! I'm sick of this stupid life I was given, unable to use my true potential!" Yama replied. "And I'm not done. There is one last sacrifice I offer Neberu... Hehehehehehehe AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He grinned and laughed madly as he pointed his Kamibuki at the three. "The lives of the King of Hueco Mundo... And its two strongest Espada!"

"Like Hell we'll let you do that!" Nel spat at him, preparing her pink Lance.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an artifact to recover in hieco Mundo..." He giggled as he opened a Kimon, completely ignoring the three.

"No... You can't...!" Ichigo realized what that meant.

"Don't worry, Hollow King. I have no need to obliterate Las Noches like it was done in the past... At least not yet. I have my own ways of finding the Heart of Tsukoyomi..." He declared. "...Just as I have my methods to find and destroy that which is most precious to those who betray me!"

"Oh no you don't!" Ulquiorra flew right at Yama, trying to stop him. "_Lanza del-"_

"_Deus Ex Machina!"_ As his two cystals shined, Yama pointed his palm at him, from which an overwhelming explosion of Light and Dark came out, sending Ulquiorra crashing into the flesh ground.

"Ungh..." He felt the attack, but was still able to stand. "No... Ori...hime...!"

"Ulquiorra!" Ichigo and Nel came to his aid, Nel healing him to support his own regeneration.

"Weak" Yama said triumphantly. "You'll be a perfect setting stone to my new reign"

The Demon King entered through the portal and left them in the chamber with 'V' and Neberu.

"Now what? We can't go after him knowing that such a dangerous thing exists" Nel told Ichigo.

"Fuck... I hate to admit it, but we have no choice but to stay here and stop Neberu from completing itself!"

"But Ichigo... Orihime...!" Ulquiorra yelled, collapsing in a way none had ever seen in him.

"Ulquiorra, calm down" Ichigo told him. "Inoue is not alone. Nageki and the other Espada are there to protect her... I know how it feels, but we have no choice right now!"

"Goddammit..." He cursed, as _Chauve-Souris _was charged with a frenzy green Reiatsu.

"The only other option... Is for me to stay here while you two go back to Hueco Mundo" Ichigo proposed.

"No, that's nonsense!" Nel replied. "There's no way I'm leaving you alone against this thing!"

From the floor, the corpses started coming out, menacing to attack them while they still hadn't made a decision.

"But..." Ichigo muttered.

"No, Nelliel is right" Ulquiorra finally decided. "Even if I leave right now, Yama is already there. All I can do, is put my trust in the people that are in Las Noches right now..."

"Are you sure?" Ichigo wanted to confirm his feelings.

"Yes. If anything happens... The only grudge I'll hold will be against Yama, so don't worry" He concluded. "We three must stop this evil from unleashing upon the other realms"

One of the corpses appeared with a flesh Katana pointed at them, a black 'V' embedded in its faceless head.

"That's the main consciousness, but it's no use killing it" Ichigo noted.

"Yama said the main source of Neberu came from the Dark Core..." Nel recalled. "Maybe if we destroy it, we can stop the whole thing"

"Yeah, I was thinking the same" Ichigo agreed.

"Then it's clear. Nelliel and I will take care of the clones while you handle the cocoon. Just break it until you find the Dark Core" Ulquiorra decided.

"Yes!" She accepted the Primera's plan.

"Good idea" Ichigo agreed, preparing to smash the gigantic flesh sphere to pieces. "_Getsuga Tenshou!"_ He used pure Hollow Reiatsu.

* * *

**And so we finally uncover one of the greatest mysteries! The monster of V is based on Legion from the Castlevania series, especially the one in Curse of Darkness****, though it has many abilities that I designed of course.**

**The next Chapter is packed with action and possibly... Feels, so get ready for that.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Great chapter! Loved it and I cannot wait to see more! 'Nuff said! Lol._**

**Reply: Thanks!** **Missed the 'but I digress', haha"**

**See you next time! R.I.P. Sein Reinert. Evhron out.**

**Glosary:**

**_Barrera Negación:_ Negación Barrier. Usable by Etapa Final level Espada, though it consumes a great deal of SP.**

**_Shirohitsugi: _White coffin. Alternate Light element version of Kurohitsugi. A Yin and Yang kind of thing.**


	34. V - G:O:D:

"Well, it looks like everyone is more or less okay" Urahara happily concluded as he joined everyone at the entrance.

"Oh, no, Kisuke..." A voice he perfectly knew whispered. "I don't know about the rest... But I'm NOT okay"

"W-What are you saying, Yoruichi-san?" He scratched the back of his head nervously.

"I told you not to do it..." She muttered with an enraged grin. "Now even Rukia saw me in that deplorable state"

"Oh, c'mon, don't say that. Your Cat-self is pretty cute, isn't she? Besides, she's way more honest..."

"Hehehehehe..." She laughed in response. "Just keep talking, Kisuke. All you do is give me more reasons to pay you back later" She started pinching his cheek harder and harder.

"Ah...Te-Te-Te-Te-Te-Te-Te...! That hurts!"

"All you're doing right now, is digging your own grave"

"*gulp* I... I'm sorry okay-"

"Hey, you!" Hiyori pointed her finger at him. "You didn't tell me that _they_ were gonna join us!"

Urahara used that as an excuse to escape Yoruichi's grip.

"Oh, that... I thought it'd be a nice surprise!" He chuckled. "I gave Hirako-san a device that would allow him to open a _Garganta_ inside Las Noches from the Dangai. They trained as hard as you did, in fact"

"That's not the problem! But... It's okay I guess" She crossed her arms and deviated her look.

"Where is Hirako-san, actually?" He inquired.

"He stayed behind to take care of the whole Demon army" Kensei replied.

"Oh, I see..." Urahara nodded. "He used his Bankai, didn't he?"

"We believe he did" Rose answered. "Though for obvious reasons, we cannot assure that"

"Hey, idiot!" She addressed Urahara. "What do you know about the baldy's Bankai? Cause I seem to be the only one who doesn't know and it's starting to piss me off!"

"To be honest... I don't know much about it. All I know is that he was banned from using it inside the Seireitei and, pretty much anywhere else"

"That's true. In fact, it's possible that this is the first time he uses it in more than a hundred years" Love added. "And don't get the wrong idea, none of us has ever seen Shinji's Bankai or knows what it is exactly"

"All I know..." Kensei noted. "Is that it doesn't distinguish friend from foe. It is an ability that affects everyone in his Reiatsu's area. That's why we had to get out as quickly as possible"

"Sorry to interrupt, but..." Harribel joined them, as she was on the other end with Gin and Grimmjow, though the latter was still knocked out. "Are you also friends of Urahara-san?"

"More or less" Rose replied. "We are Vizards, just like Love, Lisa, Hachi and Hiyori. I heard that you fought alongside them, so I imagine you understand"

"Yes" The silver haired man approached them from behind. "We know that much"

"Ichi...maru?!" Kensei looked at him in shock.

Rose and Mashiro stared at him in disbelief.

"Sorry for not re-introducing myself in a more... Subtle way, but I thought you were having fun, so I joined in"

"How are you...?" Rose was going to ask.

"We don't know that yet" Urahara replied. "Not for sure, at least, although I have my teories"

"Back to the task at hand..." Yoruichi said. "It seems your plan worked"

"Yeah, Kurosaki-san did well making sure that he didn't hide an inch of his power. Thanks to that, I was able to erase him completely" He nodded. "However, things are far more complicated"

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked, curious enough to stop taking care of Renji.

"The Demon said that Yama has also planned an attack on Soul Society"

Everyone was astonished by that declaration.

"Is that true? It wasn't some kind of bluff?" Yoruichi wanted to make sure.

"I don't think so. Kurosaki-san seemed to come to a better understanding with his enemy. But that aside..." Urahara got serious. "Yoruichi-san, go back to the shop and alert our guests about this"

"Guests?" Mashiro wondered.

"Almost the whole crew of Captains and Lieutenant-level Shinigami are in there currently" Urahara revealed. "I didn't mention that so that Kurosaki-san wouldn't be so worried about the current situation of the Seireitei, but they were already facing some serious trouble. "

"Who stayed in the Seireitei?" Kensei inquired.

"Of course, the Captain Commander and his Lieutenant" Renji predicted as he withstood a headache.

"That's correct" Yoruichi agreed. "Although we also have the case of Captain Unohana"

"The rest are all in the Training Grounds planning a counter-attack" Urahara added. "If we only knew something more to proceed in the best way possible..."

"In any case, you should at least inform them. Knowing that, they can decide what to do" Rukia said.

"I think it's clear then" Urahara concluded. "Everyone, go with Yoruichi-san. I'll stay here and wait for Hirako. We'll go check on Kurosaki-san"

"What about us?" Harribel asked him.

"Oh, you three should just go back to Hueco Mundo. It's your home after all, and it wouldn't be strange that Yama tried to take the Heart of Tsukoyomi in some way under these conditions" The shop owner answered.

"I understand. Good luck, everyone" She wished as she picked up Grimmjow, Gin folowing her.

"Wait a second, that means you..." Rose only noticed then.

"Yes... I came back as an Arrancar" Gin said his thoughts. "But when you all see Rangiku, please don't say anything. I'll talk to her when the time comes"

"Okay" They nodded, understanding.

The Arrancar left, followed by the Vizards and Soul Reapers.

"Kisuke..." Yoruichi muttered before leaving Jigoku.

"What is it?"

"Don't you dare die. I have yet to punish you for what you did"

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it" Urahara chuckled. "So you better take care too, Yoruichi" He dropped the honorific on purpose so that she would understand how worried he was.

"S-Sure" She nodded. "Idiot..." She thought as she disappeared through the portal.

Urahara sighed as he walked back into the main path, ready to encounter a fierce battle.

"People like Yama are definitely not the type to give up with simple talk... I can only expect the worse from Kurosaki-san's meeting with him, though I'd really like to hope that is not the case"

~~~~X~~~~

"Kon, where did this girl come from?" Ishida asked him as he went through the buildings at a fast pace.

"From Soul Society it seems, but I don't know much more. Some weird guy with green hair is after her, but aside from that, nothing" Kon replied bitterly.

Ishida made a call.

"Chad, did you find anything?" He asked, as Chad had gone to investigate the parking lot where Kon found Nozomi.

"Not something that can trace her back, but there's definitely remains of Spiritual Energy. Whatever is going on, is clearly connected to the incident in the Seireitei"

"What? Incident?!" Kon asked bewildered.

"I'll tell you in a moment" He told the Mod Soul. "Thanks, Chad. Could you go look for her in the Park Area? I'll check the other side"

"Yeah, no problem. Be careful, Ishida"

"Like always" He hanged up.

"So?" Kon insisted. "What's going on?"

"It all started with some Lieutenants and Captains disappearing after coming to the Human World. Later, we found out said people were here, as they managed to escape the Koutoutsu in the nick of time. Don't ask me why that is, but that's what happened"

"Damn..." Kon was in shock.

"They were now looking for Kurosaki, but of course, we just told them he was busy with the Oni. We left them at Urahara's Shop and asked if they knew something else. Apparently, someone has taken over the Seireitei from the inside, though we're still trying to decipher who it was"

"Could it be that green haired guy? He looked suspicious enough, I swear!"

"Perhaps. But finding this girl seems to be the priority right now. Whoever's behind this, needs the girl to fulfill its plans, so it's top priority. In fact, I also informed the Shinigami at the Training Grounds, so they also sent a couple people on a search for her"

"Oh, I hope she's alright"

"Also, don't get the wrong idea... I'm not doing this for the Shinigami" Uryuu clarified.

"Well, I kinda expected you to say that, to be honest" Kon chuckled a bit.

"The only reason I'm doing this is because... It's what Kurosaki would've done"

"By the way... I heard you've started training Yuzu, didn't you?"

"Hmph" He pressed his glasses. "I'd say 'training' is pushing it quite a bit. I've just been teaching her the basics of her powers and making sure she understands the responsibility it means"

"I see... Did Ichigo ask you to do that?"

"I... I think he did" He remembered how he told him to take care of his sister, despite him not understanding it at the moment. "But the one who fully explained it was his father. I wasn't sure about it at first... But I know I'll be a better teacher than Ryuuken at the very least"

"Good luck with that! Now... I think it's better if I go somewhere else to look for the girl" Kon said as he thought of the different possibilities.

"Yeah, the larger the area we cover, the better. Call me if you find something, but don't be reckless. You're not powerful enough to engage in combat"

"I know..." He muttered in reply, bothered by that fact. "Anyways, I'll get going, Ishida"

"Sure, do your best"

~~~~X~~~~

Ichigo continued attacking the sphere of corpses relentlessly, sending the bodies flying as he damaged the layers of the cocoon.

"_Cero Luna!" _He blasted a big one from his horns. "Good, it seems that he's weaker to Light-based attacks. I wonder if..." He looked at his hand as he remembered how Urahara modified _Kurohitsugi._ "No... I'm not ready for that, but I could try something else, although it would be risky to use so much Reiatsu in a single attack without knowing its effectiveness. I should just stick to _Cero Luna_ and _Getsuga_ with my Hollow Zanpakutou" He finished thinking.

Ulquiorra did the same, using the Light _Cero_, as well as _Lanza del Relámpago_ to destroy the clones that were rising from the floor, as well as from the layers Ichigo destroyed.

"This has no end..." He thought with a frown as he used _Revolución del Relámpago._

Nel used her lance to attack from the distance, throwing pink Reiatsu blasts that were on pair with her _Lanzador Verde_.

"_Lluvia Verde!" _She said as a column of frenzy pink Reiatsu rose from her lance, dissolving a group of clones.

This was not enough to stop the walking dead. The white humanoid beings were still increasing their numbers as time went through.

Ulquiorra, of course, wanted to end this as soon as possible, to make sure that Orihime was alright, but it was clearly gonna take a lot longer than he wished.

"_Getsuga Tenshou!" _Ichigo said as he sliced another layer of the cocoon, getting closer to the center. "Just a bit more..."

However, this meant that his two partners would get a whole new deal of enemies to take care of.

Ulquiorra used _Chauve-Souris' _wind attacks to clear the way after he saw himself surrounded by a multitude of creatures.

_"Tormenta de Murciélago!"_

Nel, on the other hand, was completely overwhelmed. After all, she couldn't use _Cero Luna _in _Segunda Etapa_, and neither did she have an elemental prowess so great to disperse her enemies like the Primera Espada could.

"Dammit..." Ulquiorra thought. "It might be too much for her to handle. But I gotta save her, otherwise, Ichigo won't be able to continue... Or maybe he'll explode and destroy it all... In any case, nothing good can come out of this" He flew in her aid, as she was clearly unable to escape that wall of bodies. If only she could turn them into dust...

Unless... She reduced them to ashes!

"Yoruichi-san... Thank you for everything you taught me" She said with a smile, happy to find a way out of that hopeless situation. "_Shunkou!"_ From her body, pink flames emanated violently, burning the faceless beings just by rushing straight into their crowd.

"Well, looks like she could get out of that on her own" He smiled, feeling relieved that Nel was strong enough. "She's probably the one doing the greatest effort after all... Aiming to stand by Ichigo's side as an equal, despite his clear superiority to any Arrancar. I should also go beyond my own capabilities... In order to protect her" He thought about Orihime.

"Ha!" Ichigo yelled as he destroyed another layer with a powerful swing of his Zanpakutou.

Out of the flesh barrier, a tentacle came out.

"What the...?" Ichigo murmured as he saw the tentacle point him and shoot a laser.

"Be careful, Ichigo!" Nel told him, as that whole layer seemed to have beam-shooting tentacles.

This layer wasn't made out of undead bodies, but of pink living flesh. They were approaching the center.

"We should help him" Ulquiorra told Nel as he flew close to her, though not so much, due to the heat of her flames. "But we can't forget about the clones that are approaching from the periphery"

"I have an idea" She lowered her flames. "But we need to be in the same spot, otherwise you'll get caught in the fire"

Ulquiorra nodded in response, heading towards Ichigo.

"Ulquiorra, did something happen?" Ichigo asked as he evaded a powerful beam while managing to cut one of the tentacles.

"Nelliel has an idea to finish this more quickly. She's smart, and has proven to be really powerful, so I decided to trust her"

"Good. Show me, Nel!"

"Ichigo..." She smiled as she galloped to him, charging her lance to the limit, preparing her strongest attack yet. "You two stay close to me!"

"Alright!" Ichigo gladly accepted.

"Ok" Ulquiorra nodded.

As she got to their position, she pointed her lance to the sky and aimed at the flesh cocoon.

"Witness my strength, Ichigo. All the barriers I've breached, all the limits I've broken... It's all because of you" She thought as multiple pink beams were blasted away from the tip of her weapon. "**_Lanza de Luz Gamuza_**_!"_

The tentacles were destroyed by the explosions caused by Nel's attack, just like the surrounding undead creatures.

"Nel..." Ichigo smiled proudly as he beheld the power of his Queen with adoration. "You're amazing"

The violent cocoon screeched in agony as that final layer was destroyed, leaving nothing but a web of meat that weakly held a great white orb tainted with Darkness.

The web fell to the floor, unable to continue growing due to the unprecedented damage it took.

"Did she do it?" Ulquiorra wondered.

However, on top of the orb, stood the one being that hadn't taken any particular decision during the fight.

"V?!" He thought, only realizing in that point that it hadn't done anything to stop them earlier.

There it stood, holding the grotesque weapon as it prepared its last straw.

The sword that is not a sword.

The sound that is not a sound.

The face, that is not a face, gave them a last glimpse as it used the sword to carve a hole into itself, where the mouth should be.

It puked a white bodily fluid for a couple seconds as it prepared itself.

"Ichi... I'm scared" Nel trembled a bit, half disgusted and half confused.

"What is that thing doing?" Ichigo inquired.

A second later, his answer came in the form of a sword release.

"Become one... **_Legion_**_"_

The light from the orb where it stood started embedding its body as the Dark Core ascended from the center of the sphere, its corrosive dark energy filling the Duke's empty chest as it embraced the unfathomable power Yama had collected for so long.

While not the whole strength of a being was turned into Negative Energy, the obtained amount was enough to even surpass Yama in terms of raw power.

The body of the Duke grew a lot in size, becoming three times bigger than the corpse it used to be. The 'V' on its face, shifted upwards (Λ) and then bent itself to form the sign of the end:

**Ω**

Yama was clearly the Alpha, while Neberu simbolized the Omega.

They didn't fully understand what was going on, but they could tell it was bad, awfully bad.

Ichigo and Ulquiorra blasted a _Cero Luna _towards the creature, only to find that it wasn't significantly damaged by this.

The being extended its arm like it was made of rubber and grabbed the Primera.

"Ulquiorra!" Ichigo and Nel came to his aid.

The strong grip of Neberu was pressing Ulquiorra, menacing to tear him apart, crushing his body beyond what his abilities could heal.

Nelliel activated her _Shunkou _once again, readying a blazing attack.

"_Lanzador Verde__: Llamarada"_

"Maybe Light attacks don't really work against this thing" He thought. "In that case... _Cero Medianoche!"_

The pitch black _Cero_ was aimed at Neberu's shoulder.

The dark beam along with the pink Reiatsu shot managed to separate the arm from the main body, freeing Ulquiorra.

"Ungh..." He complained as he fell to the ground, quickly healing himself to keep fighting.

"Are you okay?" Nelliel asked him, since his body looked really out of place.

"Am I okay...? Of course" He said in reply proudly, quickly healing and reassembling the broken limbs. "But it's not a nice feeling, believe me"

Neberu simply regenerated its lost limb from the main body, not minding the attack at all.

"This one's gonna be tough" Ichigo sighed with bother."Tougher than anything we've encountered so far"

"But we might still have a chance. Remember that its gestation was not complete, so it hasn't developed correctly" Ulquiorra reminded. "Maybe, we can still do something if we can destroy the Dark Core that feeds it"

"True. But earlier... Your Light attack had no effect. It's like its body is made of pure Light, while just the heart is Dark" Nel noted.

"In that case... We have to reduce it to the heart and destroy it in that moment with an obliterating Light attack" Ichigo deduced.

"Sounds like the only option so far" Ulquiorra agreed.

"Let's do it then" Nel agreed.

Neberu flew into the air as it charged a Light and Dark beam from the Dark Core, forcing them to dodge quickly through the morbid chamber.

~~~~X~~~~

Yama stepped into Las Noches, blasting the main gate away along with its guards.

"You are a nuisance" He chuckled as he easily broke in.

One of Rudbornn's clones saw what had occurred, informing the main body of the event.

"Nageki-sama" Rudbornn informed him of what had just occurred. "There's a high level Demon inside the walls of Las Noches. Main Entrance to be exact"

"Dammit..." Nageki nodded, pressing a button that started an alarm.

Immediately, the Legion of The Serpent along with the Espada were notified of the attack.

All the Espada inside started moving towards the area, ready to engage in combat.

"What happened, Satya?" Bryssling asked his partner as they ran towards the place.

"Aum, it seems that we're under attack. We weren't informed of anything else, but it can't be good"

"Nageki-san said that he would only play the alarm if the threat was of high level" Lilynette reminded them. "Whatever it is, we must give it our all... Kick about, _Los Lobos!"_

"Discipline, _Castigador!"_

Satya looked at his blade with doubt, not sure about releasing his true power.

Lilynette noticed his expression and felt a need to help him.

"You're worried about using your _Resurrección,_ aren't you?" She sweetly asked.

"Aum..." He nodded.

"I wasn't conscious when you fought, but I heard you are able to immerse others into an illusion of unbearable fear. Is that correct?"

"Aum... I feel like, something bad could happen"

"I guess you would..." She understood his feelings. "Back when I became an Arrancar, I was also scared. Me and my friend couldn't control our Reiatsu, so we ended up killing weaker Hollows just by approaching them. Because of that, we were pretty lonely, but at least we had each other"

"Aum..." Satya agreed. "I don't want to hurt anyone, not my friends, if they consider me that..." He confessed.

Bryssling looked at him amazed as he heard that. He never thought the boy was so afraid of loneliness.

"Don't worry, Satya-kun. Everyone here is really strong, and accepts your power as much as they accept your being" Lilynette assured him.

"Aum, but Kurosaki-dono said... That I had to learn to control it and... I'm not sure I can do that"

"I'm sure you can. You just've never gotten the chance" She stopped him for a moment and put her tattooed hand in his shoulder. "You're not evil, Satya-kun. Neither are your powers. If you don't want to hurt your friends, then you have to make your sword understand that feeling"

"Aum" He nodded understandingly.

"Go ahead then!"

"Aum. Thank you, Lily-nee" He smiled at her, which was a pretty rare sight. "Disperse... _Escalofrío_"

Ashido had also gone along with the Tres Bestias to the appointed zone, encountering Orihime along the way.

"Ashido-san!" She called him.

"Inoue-san...?" Ashido replied, stopping to speak to her.

They had already introduced themselves, as Orihime asked Ashido about his transition into a Hollow.

Strangely enough, the trio didn't react to the fact that he was speaking to her, but probably that was because they were fixated on something much more shocking on her neck.

"She is...!" Apacci murmured.

"...An Arrancar?!" Mila Rose completed.

"...A Whole?" Sung-Sun did the same, but differently.

Ashido got worried about the fact that she was out from the palace in that moment, knowing that she wasn't the fighting type.

"What are you doing? That alarm is sign of maximum danger"

"I know, but that's the reason I came" She replied. "If anything happens... I want to be there to help"

"Oh... I see" He had heard about her outstanding healing abilities. "But even so, please be careful. Do you need us to take you?"

"Thanks, but, while I'm still getting used to my abilities, I don't wanna get in the way. Don't worry, you four should just go ahead, I'll get there in a while"

"Wait a second..." Apacci stopped her. "That mark... Are you linked to... Another Arrancar?" She asked.

Orihime smiled as she was reminded of it.

"Yes!" She cheerfully replied. "I'm a Whole, just like you, right?"

Apacci blushed as she was discovered.

"How did you...?"

"Cause Ashido-san has three beautiful marks of different colours around his Hollow Hole. A red pair of deer antlers, an orange-red lioness head and a pink snake... It's so unique and pretty, I would've never thought that was a possibility!" She giggled.

The other two also blushed in the back. Only Mila Rose's void was in sight, but it clearly showed a lightblue mark of skeletal Dual Blades.

"Yeah..." Ashido looked away awkwardly. "I couldn't pick a single one of them. I love them all in a special way so... Things turned out like this"

"I think it's wonderful. Congratulations!" Orihime applauded. "Oh, sorry for meddling and delaying you!" She apologized.

"No, don't mind that" Ashido let it go. "I'll tell the rest you're coming as well. Take care. Let's go, girls"

"Y-Yes!" The three replied, going behind him.

"Everyone is finding their other half... It is so beautiful" Orihime thought as she kept moving, clumsily trying to use _Sonido_, yet not actually pulling it off.

"Hey!" A girl's voice called.

"Huh?" She looked back. "Oh, it's you! It's been such a long time! How have you-"

"Shut up. It's definitely not the time for that!" Loly spat, Menoly by her side. "I'm not gonna ask how, but I see you're an Arrancar now, so you might as well use your powers correctly"

"Sorry but... I thought it'd be easier so I didn't ask Ulquiorra... But I've been thinking and really trying...!"

"Well it's not enough!" Loly shouted.

"I'm... Sorry..." Orihime replied sadly.

"Loly..." Menoly tried to calm her down a little.

"Argh... Look, I don't wanna be so harsh, but I know what you're capable of, and you're gonna be needed. At this rate, it will be too late for when you arrive" Loly said in a more comprehensive tone.

"I... I thought I could do it" Orihime muttered.

"And you can" Menoly said. "But it might be too soon for you to just go on your own. You were just a human before, so it's to be expected that you don't know how it works. Let us help you, it'll be a quick lesson"

"Really?" She was filled with hope.

"Don't take this the wrong way, we're just doing this cause Las Noches is at stake" Loly crossed her arms. "Now, I think the first thing you gotta do, is feel your powers instead of thinking about how they work"

"Feel... Okay!" She replied as she took the tip, starting the tutorial.

Meanwhile, getting closer to the red towers, Yama closed his eyes, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the Heart of Tsukoyomi.

"I know you're around here... I can feel it" He murmured.

"Not so fast" Pesche pointed his Zanpakutou at him. "Go on, Dondochakka"

"Keep your ground... _Estatua"_

He turned into the great tri-faced statue, immediately summoning a group of attack beasts.

"Scavenge... _Escarabajo!"_

Pesche went into his _Resurrección_, understanding the danger of the situation.

"Tsk... You really think you stand a chance against me?"

"We don't know who you are... But you are clearly not a scout. I can feel it, you're a Prince... Or maybe one of the Four Horsemen, aren't you?" Pesche deduced, making a clear mistake.

"Ahahahahah... No, no... I'm, a bit higher than that" Yama grinned evily.

"It can't be...!"

"Hmph. Looks like you get it now" He drew his sword.

"PESCHE!" Dondochakka tried to alert him.

But it was too late. Yama easily went through him, cutting all his limbs in an instant.

"Nel-sama..." He fell unconscious due to the damage.

"And now... It's your turn"

"UWWRAHHH!" Dondochakka yelled with rage as he ordered all the attack beasts.

"_Oculus Ex Inferni!" _A hundred eyes appeared behind him, a half shooting beams of Light and the other half of Dark element, quickly erasing all the attack beasts and dealing great damage to Dondochakka as well.

"Kgh... Nel...sama" He was also knocked out.

"Hm... I could just finish them right now, but that would be no fun. These are that woman's underlings after all... Maybe I could order Neberu to keep them alive for a while so I can plan a better way to torture them" He smiled with that twisted thought. "Now, where were we?"

He could smell the Heart of Tsukoyomi, feeling it closer than ever.

"It's here, there's no doubt. Even if I have never been able to see it with my own eyes, I just know it"

Before he could continue his search, about a hundred Arrancar decided to block his way. It was the Legion of the Serpent.

"Y'er not passin' through here" One said with a rusty voice.

"Kurosaki-sama gave us one job, and we're gonna give it our all to do it" Another one added.

"Even if we die, at least we'll buy enough time so that the Espada arrive..." An older one raised a double handed axe.

"You... Hollows...!" Yama seemed to explode with rage. "No matter what I want, no matter where I go... There's always some god-damned Hollow in my path!"

All the members of the Legion released their Zanpakutou in a loud yell roar that echoed through Las Noches.

Ready to die, the warriors simply charged towards Yama like an avalanche, trying to suffocate the Demon in a chaotic barrage of berzerk attacks.

"So you're all just gonna bash right in... How stupid and futile, but then again, that's so like you..." He muttered as he saw the stampede like it moved in slow motion, his senses as sharp as he could get them. "Drown in the insolence of your being... _Apassionata Ex Machinea!"_ A thousand arrows of Light and Dark fell from the sky, instantly killing about half of the unit, turning them into blood and ash. Yama still hadn't gotten a single scratch.

"Kgh..." One barely hanged to life.

"Fuck!" Another one wanted to fight, but quickly saw it was impossible.

"No... It's not over yet!" Another one roared, blasting a red _Cero_ at Yama from behind.

The Demon dodged the laser without even looking and in the next instant, he kicked the Arrancar, breaking his body in two.

"Tch... The only damage you could do was stain my elegant clothes with your impure blood. I'll make sure to cleanse this whole place along with this Kimono"

"Damn you... Demon!" Another one spat from the sand.

"Pfft... Do you have any idea of why I'm here?!" He spouted at them all. "Exactly. Because I was damned, and no, that wasn't because of my schemes in Takemagahara... I was damned from the very moment of my birth!"

"That doesn't mean you must take out your anger and frustration in them" A man the Demon recognized said.

"That voice..." He looked at the source. "Long time no see, Primera Espada"

"It's been quite some time since that" Nageki replied. His skin was of a dark grey color, as he had changed it into a special material to face him. "I should have foreseen that you would do something like this if Ichigo went after you"

"Yes, you're right, you should have... But it's too late for that now. I've come for the Heart of Tsukoyomi. I know you hid it somewhere, so give it to me now and this carnage will stop"

"As if that meant anything... As soon as you fulfill your goals, you'll just come back here and repeat the massacre of that day, only that you'll leave no survivors this time"

"I don't see how that is a problem for you. Rumor has it you want to die. If that's the case, I believe the quickest way is giving me what I'm asking for" Yama extended his hand.

"And what happens with all the other Hollows who want to have an actual life?"

"Please don't lie to yourself, Alchemist. We both know you don't really care about such thing. Nakagawa Nageki, Ascalon Aragon, Quasimodo Gandolfi... None of them have ever cared about the others, cause deep within themselves, they know that they cannot and will never feel what the other people do. You are just a sociopath Mugetsu manipulated into believing he could be useful to a society, when all he cared about was of you to be of use to him!"

"That's not true. I knew Mugetsu, I knew Yukari, I knew the Espada! And while I never felt true empathy for them, I understood deep in my mind that they had goals with an equal value to mine" He replied stoically. "Ichigo, Nelliel and everyone else is the same. Even if I'm never gonna comprehend this feeling, I _know_ they are my friends, and that's all I need to risk my life for them"

Yama frowned with rage as he realized that it would be impossible to move Nageki's will with that alone.

"There must be something I can use..." Yama said, slashing his sword against Nageki.

The sempiternal Arrancar replied with his sword as well, barely withstanding the hits from the ruler of Hell.

"Ho? You're weaker than I thought you'd be. After all these years, I imagined you would create a grudge and train in order to kill me when the time comes. Wasn't that the true reason you've been alive all these millions of years?"

"Wrong. It's true that I failed back then..." He remembered how helplessly he was defeated, before witnessing his best friend's wife get murdered along with his child. "But Mugetsu was stronger than an empty desire for revenge!"

"You don't know. After all, you've never told him that the baby had just been born when I murdered the two! Ahahahahaha!" Yama laughed like a maniac.

"That would only give him more grief than he already experienced" Nageki closed his eyes bitterly for a second, only to open them at the next instant with sheer determination, his fuchsia irises burning with it. "No matter what you say, you won't make me doubt... _Segunda Etapa"_

The terrain around them started shaking as Nageki changed its composition multiple times, thinking of a strategy to defeat Yama.

"I see... You've gotten better at this!" Yama said as he evaded a cloud of toxic gas that emanated from burning mercury.

Nageki instantly changed the gas back into oxygen and hydrogen, so that it would not spread through the rest of Las Noches.

Yama fell into a pool of blazing magma as soon as he came back into the ground.

"Tsk... How unoriginal" He said as he flew out of it, only to encounter that the atmosphere around him had raised its temperature to a point all gases turned into plasma, generating lightning bolts all over the area he was. "Ungh!"

Nageki had gotten him, but so little wouldn't be enough, and he was getting out of Reiatsu, as those chemical reactions took a lot of energy from him.

"I gotta end this quickly, but I can't use such a devastating technique in this place" He thought about turning the hydrogen of the air into a hydrogen bomb. "Guess I'll just have to go back to the basics..." He went into _Etapa Final_.

"You wouldn't...!"

Nageki smiled.

"You're right, I can't use my strongest powers in here because of everyone's safety, but that doesn't mean I'm just gonna give up" He had a new Philosopher's stone he turned into dust to use as catalyst. _"**Gran Rey Cero Alquimista**!"_ A crimson red _Cero_ that then shifted colours went through Yama with its more than obliterating potential.

"Damn you, Nageki!!!" Yama spat as he tried to absorb the energy with his Zanpakutou.

"_Lucifer_ could only absorb Reiatsu in one state at a time. Due to this, nature-shifting attacks couldn't be absorbed successfully" Nageki remembered, as he had faced the Demon King while Mugetsu was protecting the rest of Las Noches from the Angels and the Four Horsemen.

All of the Arrancar in the vast area of the desert saw the rainbow-like beam that rose to the sky.

"Something's going on" Harribel noticed.

The Shinigami and the Vizards had already left through a _Garganta_ into the Human World.

"You go" Gin told her. "I'm not so strong, I'll just stay with Grim-"

"No" The Espada woke from his slumber. "I already had my nap. I'm going with you, Tier" He smiled, ready to have a new battle.

Nageki panted as he saw his surroundings. There was dust and sand everywhere, so it was hard to tell if he had won or not.

"Even if that was not enough to kill him... *cough* *cough* Argh...! It should be... Enough to stop him..."

His thoughts were interrupted by a great pain that went from his back and came out his stomach. Yama hadn't given up.

He was completely wounded and even had lost an arm. He had put his Katana in the sheath, and used his only hand to attack Nageki.

"Wrong. Nothing is enough to stop me, from what's rightfully mine!" He spouted, holding the black box where the tesseract was stored and pulling his arm out of Nageki's body.

"What the...?" Nageki muttered, vomiting blood. "How did you know...?"

"Cause Kurosaki and Mugetsu aren't the only heirs to Tsukoyomi's legacy..."

"You don't say...!" Nageki widened his eyes.

"Yes. The first son of Tsukoyomi- No. The ONLY true son of Tsukoyomi, is me!" Yama revealed to Nageki, as he started regenereting his lost limb. "Son of the banished Tsukoyomi, and the High Goddess Amaterasu... That's me, Sorayama, God of Energy"

"I see... That's the _why__"_

"Yes. That's the reason for my deep hatred of you Hollows. While my father neglected me, he gave his own life to create a whole lineage of creatures as if they were his children, with Mugetsu as its head!" Yama bitterly admitted. "He gave him everything! Power, time, company... And what was left for me?! That's right... There's nothing for me here..." He grinned outraged.

"That's not... Mugetsu's fault... Neither... Ours..." Nageki, weak, refuted.

"I know. But my old man is long gone, and all that's left of him are this thing, you Hollows and Kurosaki's Zanpakutou. All I can do to take out my misery on him now, is destroy everything he ever loved. I'll eradicate both your existence and my mother's. The fact that I'll stand on top of everything afterwards is just a bonus"

"Fufufu..." Nageki laughed. "So the one wasting his life on a meaningless revenge turned out to be none other than you..."

"You have no idea of how this feels... In fact, you have no idea of how anyone else feels" Yama coldly said. "The reason sociopaths and psychopaths get obsessed over every little thing is cause they're empty inside. The only ones able to truly savour the suffering they create is us, sensitive enough to rejoice in the pain of the people we hate the most"

"Say what you want... I still feel glad of not being a miserable... Like you...!"

"Is that so? We'll see who is more miserable... _Ænima" _Yama put the black box in a space inside his Kimono and placed his palm on Nageki's head. "Show me... Your greatest fear..."

Sorayama knew that the Arrancar needed to have something else aside from his failure during the raid. There had to be an unspoken secret only he knew.

He looked between forgotten memories, seeking something important, yet stored in the dark corners of oblivion.

Finally, between the haze of his mind, he could see it.

"How did I not realize before?" He chuckled. "Of course. You would've never been able to change that bloody harlot without some trick"

"Ngh..." Nageki fell miserably in the sand as he recognized his own failure. "I'm so sorry, Nelliel..."

"I would kill you now, but I think you're gonna be way more sorrowful in that state, rotting every day of your existence knowing, that you were never able to accomplish anything. In everything you ever tried, you failed, and the one thing you successed at, is nothing, but an abhorrent lie..."

Before Yama could continue grieving Nageki, however, he saw himself surrounded.

"This is as far as you go!" Harribel told him.

"Tch... Who's this guy anyway?" Grimmjow looked down on him due to his ragged appearance.

"I don't know, but we must get rid of him" Ashido declared.

"And punish him for the deaths of all these soldiers" Bryssling added, readying his tentacles.

"There will be no forgiveness" A mature Satya stated.

"How unsightly..." Lilynette mourned over the dead.

"My, my... What a mess he made" Gin sighed with bother.

"Haha! Looks like you have no idea of who you're speaking to..." Yama grinned as his arm had just finished regenerating. "Ungh!"

He couldn't get his Katana out, as he suddenly felt the lack Reiatsu reminiscent from his actions to survive Nageki's _Cero_.

"Heh, looks like it won't matter as you can't even fight!" Grimmjow spat proudly.

"Everyone!" A girl's voice yelled from the distance.

They all looked back, all except Harribel, Grimmjow, Satya and Gin who didn't lose a single movement of the Demon.

Orihime tripped in the sand before joining them all in the remains of the fierce battle.

"We told you to be careful when returning to normal speed!" Loly reprimanded her, while Menoly just sighed.

"Sorry..." Orihime knead her head.

"Inoue-san" Ashido remembered she was coming. "Looks like we're gonna need a lot of your help in the end"

"No problem!" She cheerfully accepted, but then she noticed the Demon everyone was surrounding. "No... You!"

"What's wrong, Inoue-san?" Lilynette asked.

"That man... H-He is...!" She could barely say it, fear stealing her voice with every word. "The King of Jigoku... Yama!"

Everyone was shocked for a second as they heard that. They weren't dealing with a mere grunt. That was the Lord of Hell himself.

Yama took that single second to rush outside of the circle of Espada, grinning as he got the golden opportunity to not only escape, but punish the traitor in the process.

"Drown in an ocean of darkness... Ulquiorra!!!" Yama yelled triumphantly as he tore Orihime's body apart with a single hand, destroying all her inner organs in her chest and stomach.

"INOUE-SAN!" Was heard in unison as the people realized what had occurred.

~~~~X~~~~

"Arghhh!" Ulquiorra felt a deep pain go through his Hollow Hole.

~~~~X~~~~

"You won't get away, Yama!!!" Grimmjow and Harribel tried to get him.

A dimensional cut of darkness stopped them right in their tracks though.

"R-Ren!" Yama muttered.

"You could've told me to come with you, Yama-san" A man of pale skin, gray eyes and wild greenish-yellow hair said.

He was wearing a dark robe with silver chains and shackles hanging. He was holding a long Scythe.

"*cough* It doesn't matter anymore, just get us out from here"

"Okay... It will be easy since the Seireitei is in our hands" He indifferently noted. "Seku already unleashed 'The Plague', so there's nothing to worry about"

"I see. Excellent"

"You won't get away with this!" Harribel shot a yellow _Cero_ _Luna _at them, but Ren easily blocked it by rolling his scythe.

"You're funny, woman..." He reminded her of Ulquiorra a bit. "You cannot kill Death"

Following those words, Ren created multiple sickles that came after her.

"Tier!" Grimmjow slashed Reiatsu waves to push the weapons away.

"Would you look at that, Yama-san?" Ren said. "These Arrancar are getting stronger, aren't they?"

"Ren!" Yama ordered.

"Okay, okay..." He sliced a Kimon in the space. "When you wanna go on to the next life, come see me" The man invited.

As soon as the two disappeared, all the attention was centered on Orihime.

"Princess! Please hang on!" Loly and Menoly cried, the first holding her tears while the other simply let it all out.

While they were jealous of her at first due to Aizen's interest in the girl, they couldn't deny that she was the most pure hearted person they had ever met, and seeing her like that, was simply unbearable.

For everyone else, it was a similar feeling.

The Tres Bestias also felt really sad, as she had been the one that healed their wounds after the battle in Karakura.

"Grimmjow, go to the Training Grounds of that man, now!" Harribel ordered. "Inoue-san, you have to resist a little bit"

Orihime smiled as she felt her life fading away.

"I... I don't think I... Will make it..." She almost whispered, as her body was completely destroyed, not even having lungs to breath. "Just tell... Ulquiorra... I... Love..."

Her brown eyes lost all life as she finished those words.

"You gotta be kidding me...!" Harribel covered her mouth. She had never been so touched by a person's death, but seeing the girl that had healed her and her family like that, added to the fact that she knew what feelings meant now... It was too much.

"This has to be a lie...!" Lilynette started crying.

"Damn..." Even Bryssling thought it had been hard.

"This is bad..." Gin felt sad as well.

"No way...!" Ashido punched the sand floor.

"Just... Why?" Satya wondered, not understanding how good people could suffer that kind of fate.

"What... What are we gonna possibly say to Ichigo... And Ulquiorra?" Harribel sobbed.

Everyone mourned over the death of the girl, surrounded by corpses and wounded Arrancar that would likely die without the indicated care.

Unknown to them however, the girl's body had stopped responding, but... Was that really the end?

Inside the Zanpakutou on her side, a different opinion was held by six different spirits.

"Huh?" She opened her eyes in a flower garden. "Everything seems... Calm here. What...?" She remembered what had just happened. "Oh, right. I died"

"Are you sure about that?" A male voice inquired.

"That voice...! Tsubaki?" She couldn't believe it. "But Ashido-san said that-"

"Kokuran disappeared from his Zanpakutou because he rarely used its power. Her spirit was eaten by the Hollow beast because of that. However, that's not the case with us..."

"Hello again!" Shun'ou saluted cheerfully. "We're so glad to see you again. I thought you'd never speak to us and we'd be trapped inside this sword forever" He sighed in relief. "But that didn't happen!"

"Woo!" The other four fairies flew happily around her.

"Everyone is here!" She was amused.

"Yeah" Tsubaki nodded. "We six compose the powers of your Zanpakutou: _Flora_"

"_Flora? _That sounds pretty!" She giggled. "I'm so happy to see you guys here! I can't wait to tell...! Ulqui-kun..." She remembered sadly. "I... I'm dying, am I not?"

The fairies looked at each other, deciding to explain the situation.

"Well, yes and no" Lily replied.

"What?!" She snapped.

"Look, Orihime, you just experienced an actual death. Your body can no longer be restored through Kaidou or your own regenerative abilities" Shun'ou explained.

"Then how...?"

"Because of your aspect of death" Tsubaki replied.

"I have... An aspect of death? Me?" She blinked in disbelief.

"Yes. And it is none other than... Denial" Shun'ou revealed. "Your stubbornness to accept reality has gifted you this power!"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Lily chuckled. "You didn't accept to be powerless when all your friends were fighting Hollows back then, so you got our power"

"Then, you wouldn't let your friends die at any cost, so you developed an ability capable of restoring everything to a past state. That surpasses even space and time rules!" Shun'ou pointed out.

"And now, you wouldn't accept the fact that you and Ulquiorra would never be Whole, so you went as far as to become a Hollow and then an Arrancar" Hinagiku added.

"And all of that leads to this..." Tsubaki said proudly. "Orihime, you have the power to deny a certain aspect of reality, once"

"Wait... I don't think I get it"

"What Tsubaki is trying to say is, that you can come back to life by denying the fact that you died" Shun'ou said.

"Is that... Is that really possible?"

"Yes, but only for once" Lily clarified. "Maybe you'll be able to do it more times if you get stronger but... The only thing we can assure for now, is that this once, you've successfully escaped death"

"Oh my God..." She covered her mouth, not able to grasp her luck.

"We're glad you came to visit, Orihime..." Tsubaki said. "But I believe there are people back in Hueco Mundo that need you"

"Right!" She recalled her friends' sad faces, as well as the wounded that required her help. "What do I have to do?"

"Just order your Zanpakutou to deny your death and we'll do the rest" Shun'ou concluded, Baigon and Ayame nodding alongside him.

"Okay, thank you so much! I love you all!" She told the six. "Now then... _Flora_,

I deny this reality.

I won't accept it.

For as long as Ulquiorra needs me.

I won't leave this world.

I reject that fate.

Inoue Orihime is alive"

As she finished that sentence, her soul flew out of her Zanpakutou and everything became white.

Outside, everyone stopped their tears and grief as the pale corpse they were crying for was bathed in a golden-yellow barrier that restored the body in a magical way.

"What is...?" Loly muttered in disbelief.

"Is it possible...?" Menoly was the same.

The field dispersed into six lights that returned to the girl's Zanpakutou.

Orihime slowly opened her eyes again, to see herself surrounded by the Arrancar, along with Yoruichi, who had just been brought by Grimmjow.

"Hi, everyone" She said as cheerful as always, as if nothing had happened.

No, in fact, at least to her, nothing had happened. That was reality.

The death of Inoue Orihime at the hands of Yama was now fiction.

Inoue Orihime was alive. That was a fact.

* * *

**Hi, everyone! A plot HEAVY Chapter today, I gotta say, and we're not over yet.**

**Honestly, at first I wanted to leave everything up to Inoue's death, but I'll be a nice guy for once and show you what happened.**

**After all... There is a greater problem at hand, but did you notice? I wonder, I wonder...**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Whoo! Excellent chapter! Loved this! So...the time has come to fight the mysterious enigma that is the Fifth Duke: V! Good luck Ichigo and co! You'll need it!_**

**_Also, I was thinking along the same lines of it being similar to a creature called Legion, but not from Castlevania. No, I was thinking of the creature from a Japanese Kaiju movie: Gamera VS Legion!_**

**Reply: Nice to hear that, like always.**

**I saw a fragment of the movie (I imagined it would be something like that lol) and V is definitely like Legion from Castlevania, although the actual concept of Legion comes from the Bible, as a man was possessed by a group of Demons, so he couldn't be easily exorcised.**

**See you next time, although I'll hate myself so much...**

**I'm sorry. Evhron.**

**Glosary:**

**_Lluvia Verde: _Green Rain. Some people tend to translate Verde as Jade, but it's just green. Honestly, for a Spanish speaker like me, it sounds really dumb, but I guess Kubo thought it was cool.**

**_Lanzador Verde: Llamarada: _Green Lancer: Flare. Burning version of this attack, due to increased Fire element with her _Shunkou_.**

**_Gran Rey Cero: Alquimista: _The same old attack with Alchemist in the end. Nageki uses his abilities as well as a Philosopher's Stone to turn a _Gran Rey Cero_ into this beast of an attack, able to wound Yama. Also, before anyone complains about power scaling, Yama hasn't released his sword, Nageki _was _Primera Espada, AND has lived for millions of years.**

**_Flora: _Exactly the same as in English. I know her ability is freaking Overpowered, but it's also very limited.**


	35. The Betrayal

"Ulquiorra, what happened?" Ichigo asked him, since he fell in pain to the floor in mid-flight.

"I... Felt a terrible pain in my Hollow Hole..." He became even more pale than he already was. "No... Orihime!"

"Wait, don't lose it yet" Ichigo told him as he protected him from a barrage of corpses that Neberu threw at him. "Your mark hasn't faded. She's still alive"

"That's... True. But, are you sure it works that way?" He inquired.

"Mugetsu?" He asked his Spirit quickly.

"You're half right, Ichigo" He replied in his head. "As long as the mark has its colour, the partner is alive, cause that means there's still Reiryoku left in them. On the other hand, if the colour fades... Is because, your Whole is no longer in this world. It happened to me, so... I can assure you it works like that"

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll make sure to give Yama what he deserves for that and everything else. Thank you for explaining"

"Don't mention it" He smiled a bit.

"Ulquiorra, she's alive. Mugetsu said that as long as there's colour in the mark, her Reiryoku still exists" Ichigo calmed him.

"*sigh* Thank you" He felt relieved. "Now, I can get back to business. _Huracán Vampiro!"_

From _Chauve-Souris,_ a hurricane of slashing black and green wind flew right at Neberu, harming its body successfully.

"_Muerte Negra"_ Ichigo created his black Reiatsu scythe.

He sliced and diced Neberu with all his might, making sure the creature took as much damage as possible, while being careful enough not to be hit himself.

His Espada continued the combo with powerful abilities to make sure that the being didn't have a chance to react.

"_Lanzador Verde: Llamarada!"_

"_Tormenta de Murciélago"_

Ulquiorra prepared his strongest attack, in an attempt to damage Neberu seriously, giving an opening to Ichigo.

Nel gave a look at Ulquiorra, and then proceeded to do a dual attack.

"Ichigo, step back!" She told him.

He nodded and did as he was told.

"Now!" Ulquiorra said.

"_**Lanza de Luz Gamuza**!"_

"_**Lanza Relámpago Muerto**!"_

A massive black, green and pink explosion engulfed the shiny figure of Neberu as it reduced everything in its area to mere ashes.

"That should do it..." Ulquiorra muttered. "Ichigo, get ready"

"When you see the Dark Core, fire your most powerful Light-based attack" Nel added.

"Okay" He cut his hands with his horns, and covered them in blood.

As the smoke dissipated, the three carefully looked at the state of the enemy, ready to encounter a totally obliterated Neberu.

"It can't be...!" They all muttered.

Neberu looked a lot thinner, as if it had lost a great part of its body, but it was nowhere near being as destroyed as they expected it to be.

The next thing it did was scavenge for the corpses that remained in the floor, picking one and munching it in the head.

"What is that...?" Nel asked as she stared in confusion.

Neberu ate more and more heads of corpses, rapidly increasing its body mass.

"It's restoring its power!" Ichigo realized. "_**Gran Rey Cero: Medianoche**!"_

The vast pitch black Cero managed to get a loud sound of pain that seemed to come from Neberu, but it was clear that the fight was not nearly over.

"Where is it?" Ichigo asked, as the being had disappeared from sight.

Suddenly, he felt the bodies beneath him had gotten incredibly hot, as if they were magma.

"Argh!" Ichigo yelled as Neberu appeared from between the lava-melted bodies and seized him with great strength.

"Ichigo!" Nel and Ulquiorra saw what happened and rapidly came to his aid.

"Nelliel, use Darkness" Ulquiorra told her.

"I understand" She nodded.

"_Cero Oscuras"_ The two attacked, Nel from her horns and Ulquiorra from both hands.

However, Neberu used its other hand to nullify their combined beam with an explosion of Corrupted Light.

"It's not enough... Fuck!" Nel cursed, feeling helpless again. "Just when he needs me the most...!" She frowned. "If only I was stronger..."

And in that moment she remembered. She could be stronger. All she had to do was go one level above, making the power of _Gamuza_ hers, entirely.

"Gamuza..." She spoke to the spirit, time almost freezing as she entered her Inner World.

"What is it, my Queen?" The beast teased. "Hahaha, just kidding, you're no ruler of mine"

"Why do you neglect me? I did what you wanted last time!"

"Hm... Yes, I guess you did. But you see, I wasn't content with the result..."

"I don't care about that, you are my Zanpakutou, you do as I say!" She declared.

"Wrong..." Another voice said. "Gamuza is our Zanpakutou, and she's way more fond of me"

"What the...?" She looked at the owner of the voice.

It looked just like her, but was wearing a coat and primal skirt made of Hollow fur.

"You...!" She recognized those clothes, just like the ones Bryssling and Satya had. It could only mean one thing. "Scar... Queen..."

"Long time no see... Night after night, I tried as hard as I could to get inside your head, but it seems that the only thing I managed to pull off was to create nightmares... And then I learned that by doing that, I'd be able to influence your behaviour" She confessed.

"You are lying...!" Nel couldn't believe it.

"Not at all. In fact, I decided of my own accord to stop the nightmares once you were with Ichigo, so that you would grow more and more attached to him... Although I never thought that would actually become an obstacle in the end" She admitted. "The truth of the matter is that I was planning to take over once you changed into _Segunda Etapa_ for the first time, but that armband... I really don't know what that shady guy with the hat did, but it clearly fucked it all up. Even once your skull was healed, I really thought that we'd be able to meet if Ichigo became dissapointed with you breaking his promise, but it didn't nearly work. Instead, you entwined your souls and became Wholes, thus creating the greatest obstacle I'd have to face... Then, I imagined that there was a chance if he rejected you once he knew who you truly were... Possibly breaking the link! (Although I don't even know if that's possible, but it's all I had!). That impossible possibility was mere luck, I gotta admit, as I didn't pull any strings behind that. Still... I was busted again! As he accepted who you were and loved you as much as always..." She bit her lip with frustration. "Seriously, he's unbeliavable. I might fall in love too if he keeps acting that way..." She sighed and then laughed. "~Kuhuhuhu~ As if that could happen... Although I did feel aroused last time..."

"What do you...?" Nel frowned as she was completely taken off-guard.

"Don't you remember? That moment when you were reaching climax with him for that final time... What did you think in that instant?" She grinned.

"I... I didn't...!" She trembled as she recalled that moment.

"Kill me... And devour me whole... That's the only way we can be together forever!"

"I would never...!"

"Exactly. Those violent and egoist thoughts were not yours, they were mine" She revealed. "I wanted to experience, just for once, what it felt to be one with him... What it was, to be loved... So I took advantage of the fact that your mind was completely blank and slipped into your consciousness, something I had never been able to do before, and I must say... It was a truly delightful experience"

"You bitch...!"

"Careful what you say" She silenced her. "Don't you understand? I am you, Nel. I am the suppressed darkness inside of you" Scar Queen said.

"But... Why... Why do you exist?" She inquired, not comprehending how that was possible.

"Now you're asking the important questions" She replied. "Because before that man came into our lives, we were only one and the same"

"That... Man...?" She thought of the three people that could meet that criteria.

Ichigo, Aizen and Nageki. They all had changed her life in different ways, so any of them could be the one Scar Queen was referring to.

"Quasimodo Gandolfi" Her darkness replied. "Or, his true name, Nakagawa Nageki"

"What? What did he do? Teach me about-"

"Tsk... That's why I hate you. How can you be so damn naïve?" She facepalmed disappointed. "Look, I'm fucking tired of this, so why don't we go straight to the point?"

"Whatever you say" Nel agreed, holding the green sheath.

"Perfect" Scar Queen smiled again, readying a blood-covered Zanpakutou. "Whoever wins, gets out of here with the power you came looking for"

"Fine by me" Nel accepted the duel. "I don't know exactly what you are and why you are here... But right now, all I care about is getting the power to save Ichigo"

"How lovely" Scar Queen mocked. "Now, let's end this!"

The two charged towards the other, Scar Queen with a purely offensive stance, which Nel easily saw through.

"_Corte Abrasador!"_ She attacked before the other could even try anything.

"Gah..." Scar Queen spat blood. "_Shunkou..."_

"If what you said was true, I figured that you wouldn't be able to use this technique" She looked at her other self with pity. "You are really strong, but you are alone. The power I have obtained ever since I found Ichi, no, ever since I was saved by Nageki... Is not a vicious strength or bloodlust as the one you have. This strength is born of the bonds I've created and my desire to protect them all"

"You're weak... You neglect who you really are!" She spat back.

"No. The only weak one is you, letting yourself be controlled by a void dogma that never earned you anything. If there's anyone I'm happy to betray, it is you" She declared with a determined look in her hazel eyes. "Now, Gamuza"

"I know..." The beast bowed to her. "To be honest, you've met the requirements for a while now"

"I knew I did, that's why I came here" Nel replied, indifferent. "Ever since I became a Whole, I made a promise that's impossible to break, and that goes against my nature, just like Ichigo said"

"Ichigo... Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo Ichigo!" Scar Queen madly repeated that name. "Everything revolves around Ichigo! Don't you see? If he ever left you or died, your world is done for! You cannot depend on someone else to be complete! That goes against the very nature of Hollows!"

"You know nothing about Hollows!" Nel easily refuted. "We are incomplete since our birth as Menos. We unite and only then we can become Gillian. We feed on countless other Hollows on the next two steps to evolve into a Vasto Lorde, and we break our mask to look for the one thing we've never grasped before... One way or another, we depend on others to get to this point. Don't you see how sad it is when you finally realize what it truly means to be an Arrancar?!" She yelled the last sentence, more passionate than she thought she would get. "It's only fair... That we find one last person to rely on... Someone who has also suffered countless times, and that's missing a part of himself... To finally establish that unbreakable bond of love and become Whole... That is what it means to be a Hollow" She turned her back with those last words and disappeared from that world.

Scar Queen trembled in an unstable way as she tried her hardest to comprehend the words Nel told her. Why couldn't she share that thought? Why couldn't she be complete?

"Nageki..." She muttered the name of the person that made her miserable.

Back in the fight, as if it had been only a second, she raised her Reiatsu beyond her limits, ready to go to the last level, the final stage of her evolution as an Arrancar in terms of power.

Just when Mugetsu had decided to release Ichigo's power to its fullest, an explosion of pink and black Reiatsu changed it all.

The dark light turned pink and white as it shined to its fullest, just like the moon, amd then it all disappeared, leaving the Queen in all her might.

"N-Nel..." Ichigo muttered from Neberu's grip as the monster choked him, beholding the form Nelliel had attained to save him.

Her animal half had clearly grown stronger, looking a bit larger and more muscular.

Her black fur had more pink markings, and the middle part of her back grew a teal coloured piece of fur that ended in her tail, long and gorgeous.

An armor of black skulls with pink traces of Reiatsu covered her human half up to her chest. From there, her skin was uncovered, but had pink lines that went from her chest and shoulders through both of her arms.

On her face, the red line on top of her nose became a pink line like the ones in the rest of her body, and her eyes, just like the others who had reached that state, had black scleras and irises of the colour of her Reiatsu, a furious pink.

The greatest change though, was the complete disappearance of her helmet, finally showing her marvelous turquoise hair in all its glory. Her two dark horns, now came straight from her upper forehead, ramificating into other two pieces that bent to opposite sides.

Finally, beside her, rested a long battle lance with a black handle that looked more like a sword, made with the same material as her horns and with a black metal cilinder to channel the energy. On its bottom, a pink orb emanated her Reiatsu, releasing the energy to the rest of the weapon, creating a lance of pure pink Reiatsu.

"So she finally did it..." Ulquiorra thought. "I was wondering when would she get to Etapa Final... Talk about luck. However, I doubt it's gonna be enough to put an end to this"

"So this is the lance on Ichigo's Hollow Hole... My Final Weapon, _Mordred"_ She thought as she felt the power flowing through the long lance. "Ulquiorra!"

"On it!" He flew rapidly towards Neberu, dragging _Chauve-Souris_ against the floor to set the spear on fire.

Nel used _Velocidad_ to get there at the same time as Ulquiorra was attacking Neberu with his spear, slashing the limb with Mordred.

Alone, they wouldn't have been able to do it, but the two attacks managed to sever and erase the creature's arm as it held Ichigo.

"GGGHHRRUUU!" Neberu growled in pain.

She caught her King in the air with her back, galloping out of the being's outrage.

"Nel... Thank you..." He panted as he rested his head on her back, which was uncovered, having only some pink drawings, as well as her tattoo.

"No, Ichigo. I am the one who should be thanking you" She replied softly. "Even after knowing about my past... You loved me no less, accepting the darkness inside of me like it was your own"

"Please... It's the least I can do" He rested his hands on her shoulders, slowly regaining his strength. "How could I become a Whole with you without accepting all that you are?"

Nel could see her other self as he said that, uncomfortably realizing that such a persona somehow existed somewhere within her. She really wanted to tell him, but with Neberu on a rampage, it was clearly not the best opportunity.

"I love you, Ichigo" She decided to say. "And thanks to you, I went this far..." She charged her lance. "And now, we can truly fight together! No need for you to hold back anymore"

"Wait, are you implying that..." Ichigo blinked multiple times.

"Yes! Ride me to victory!" She raised her frontal legs and charged towards Neberu.

"I'll be covering you from above" Ulquiorra said as he flew past them.

"I know we can do it, Ichigo, trust me!" She said as she prepared to stab Neberu, who was raising its Reiatsu in a dangerous explosive way, randomly blowing up spaces of the chamber.

"Yeah!" Ichigo smiled as he recognized her strength. "Let's do this..."

As he accepted, his Whole Link started shining with Nel's pink Reiryoku and hers was the same with his black energy, until it mixed the two, the two voids being filled with a black and pink orb of pure energy.

"C-Could this be...?" Nel muttered.

"...The moment our Reiatsu is only one and the same!" Ichigo realized.

"If that's the case... I have an idea!" She replied.

"What is it?"

"I've done it with Pesche and Dondochakka, but it's not easy to use, as the energy infused must be in equal quantities so that it is compatible, but being this the case, it won't matter!"

"Then, what do I have to do?" Ichigo inquired.

"Charge the strongest _Cero_ you can possibly make, right on top of my horns"

"Okay!" He concentrated the energy a bit higher than usual, so that it would appear where she requested. "_**Gran Rey Cero: Medianoche**!"_

Nel charged a _Gran Rey Cero Oscuras_ to mix it with Ichigo's, the black energy mixing while a single pink shine remained at its center.

"_Gran Rey Cero Sincrético__!"_ She said as the two released the attack on Neberu, as she galloped towards the luminous entity, proudly taking her King in her back.

"_Revolución del Relámpago_" Ulquiorra also attacked to make sure that damage would be done.

After the giant explosion, the three stared once again at the creature, waiting to see how much damage did that assault make.

Out of the smoke, they finally could see what they wanted, they had succesfully destroyed half of the being, who had been forced to move the Dark Core into the half that remained.

With difficulty, it restored the missing part, but as it had used the same energy that remained, it lost a lot of mass, barely being able to stand up.

"Now's our chance" Ichigo knew it. "All we have to do is make sure that it doesn't eat another corpse before reducing it to the Dark Core"

However, things weren't so simple. Instead of giving up, the creature pointed its hand and blasted a Light and Dark attack just like the one Yama had used on Ulquiorra. but in a larger scale.

"No way..." Ulquiorra muttered, flying out of the attack's range. "It still has this much power left?"

"It must be desperate" Nel said. "Seeing itself threatened, it might start spamming brutal attacks to force us to stand back"

"But that won't happen" Ichigo prepared his Shinigami Zanpakutou and _Muerte Negra_ on the other hand. "Now might be our only chance to stop it. It has learned our attack patterns in such a short period of time... We gotta end it now"

"Yes... But how?" Ulquiorra asked. "We're all at our limit, aren't we?"

Nel was also panting heavily, as she had used up a lot of energy dodging Neberu's attacks, as well as using powerful abilities in general.

"No, I can still fight" Ichigo got off Nel's back.

"But Ichigo-" She knew he had taken a lot of damage.

"Don't worry, I already recovered almost completely" He comforted her. "And also, I have a plan, and it relies especially on you, Nel"

"Me?" She was surprised. "What do I have to do?"

"You can reverse an attack and direct it back at its user, right? Ulquiorra told me"

"Um... Yeah, but, I doubt I can pull that off with an attack of this magnitude, even with _Mordred__"_

"I know, that's why, Ulquiorra, I need your help" Ichigo asked him.

"What is it?" The Primera asked.

"I need you to help me with a barrier, it's called _Barrera Negación"_ Ichigo explained. "We must focus all our Reiatsu in creating a protective barrier. That way, we'll be able to stop it for a moment, and then, Nel can use that ability"

"I see... It's a good idea" Ulquiorra agreed. "But, it must be a Dark attack, otherwise, it's not gonna work"

"Not necessarily, if we get him to use that powerful beam again, it should be enough" Ichigo theorized. "Light and Dark don't act the same way when they are together, I saw that with my _Getsuga Juujishou._ The reason I didn't deal him enough damage is because my Shinigami powers are not nearly as strong as my Hollow ones now..."

"I see, if that's the case, we can make it work" Nel accepted.

"There's nothing more to say then" Ichigo went straight ahead. "Let's do this"

Ulquiorra attacked from the distance, while Ichigo charged right in, making Neberu's senses collapse as they didn't leave it a single instant to counter.

To weaken it a bit more, Ichigo even decided to use an attack he felt was taboo until that very moment, due to it being the trademark move of his past enemy, Aizen.

He used _Velocidad_ to appear behind Neberu as he quickly muttered the enchantment, just like Hachigen had taught him, finishing in:

"Hadou 90: _Kurohitsugi" _Quickly, black layers of energy with a shining violet outline started encasing the space that surrounded the being, finishing in a cubic black coffin with multiple crosses on its top.

"Incredible..." His two Espada were amazed by this technique.

Then, Ichigo released the power, blowing up the tremendous amount of Dark Reiatsu with Neberu inside.

Panting, he stepped back, to the place where Nel and Ulquiorra were.

On the ground, completely overwhelmed, Neberu charged the laser Ichigo wanted, but using all its remaining strength, so that the three Espada would be completely erased.

It was a desperate attempt to survive from the godly being Yama had created, clearly pointing out its imperfection.

It would be devastating, but it was also the only thing powerful enough to destroy it once and for all.

"Now, Ulquiorra! Nel!" Ichigo told them.

"Yes!" The two were ready.

Neberu blasted a massive Light and Dark beam, directing it at its attackers.

Side by side, the old rivals created a red and green barrier with all the power they had left, barely enduring the blast as they used all their strength.

Nel wanted to send the attack back at Neberu, but it was still too strong. She wouldn't be able to do it.

The barrier was starting to crack, unable to withstand the full power of the luminous abomination.

"No...!" Ichigo muttered. "I won't... Be able... To hold it... Anymore...!"

Ulquiorra was the same, but something inside him refused to accept that.

Just as _Barrera Negación_ was shattered, a golden-yellow field appeared, as Ulquiorra's mark brightly shined.

"This power...!" Ichigo realized.

"It's... Orihime..." Ulquiorra smiled.

The barrier was powerful, resisting the beam as it began weakening, but it started cracking, showing that it was still too strong.

"Dammit!" Ulquiorra spat.

However, just as it was broken, Ichigo protected the two from the beam with Zangetsu, getting severly damaged in the process.

"Ichigo!" The two yelled.

"I can... Still... Hold it a bit... Longer...!" He grinded his teeth as he resisted for a couple more seconds.

Once the beam had truly started declining, the moment came.

"Nel...!"

"Nelliel...!"

The two Espada said as the moment had come.

"Yes!" She went in front of Ichigo with _Mordred_ in her hand and used the ability her aspect of death had granted her. "_Traidor!"_

The beam was completely sent back at Neberu, much to Nel's surprise. Her new lance, instead of having to absorb the Reiatsu to counter, could reflect it completely as long as she was strong enough.

The luminous creature roared with a distorted guttural voice as it started dissolving from its limbs to the body and head.

Even the Dark Core couldn't withstand the chaotic stream of energy it had created, slowly cracking, until it completely shattered.

"We did it...!" They three thought as they saw it.

An explosion of Negative Energy filled the room. It was an abominable amount.

The three felt a rapid change of emotions as they were in that atmosphere. Fear, anger, sadness, pain... Everything shifted constantly, unable to stay calm.

Only in that moment, did they realize what was going on.

The energy had nowhere to go. Up to that point, the Dark Core had been the one absorbing all the Negative Energy their enemies had released.

The vicious Dark Energy roamed aimlessly looking for something that could contain its unstable existence.

"The King of Hueco Mundo..." It thought with its collective consciousness. "Impossible"

It kept searching.

"The traitor, Primera Espada, that must be enough!" It believed.

But much to its surprise, Ulquiorra didn't nearly have the amount of darkness it was looking for.

"What is this... Light?! Gah!" It was forced to retreat as a golden-yellow spirit banished it from the Arrancar's soul, leaving only one option left.

The Dark Energy started concentrating itself as it finally sensed what it needed.

"What is this... Darkness? This tremendous amount of negativity?" It wondered as it flew towards the source. "Could it be... That this girl...?"

"What is...?" Nel muttered as she felt how the energy forced its way inside her soul.

"Nel!" Ichigo saw what was happening, thinking that the Dark Core's consciousness was trying to attack her in some way.

He extended his hand as he tried to do something, but his lack of Reiatsu stopped him. He couldn't do anything, in fact, he was about to pass out.

"Whatever happens, I..." Nel murmured. "I will always love you... Ichi..."

And then, everything came back to normal, the disgusting Evil Aura had disappeared from the chamber.

"What the...?" Ulquiorra didn't notice what had happened.

"AAAAARRRGGGHHHHH!" Ichigo and Nel screamed at the same time, their bodies collapsing with pain.

~~~~X~~~~

Orihime had finished healing Pesche and Dondochakka, and was going to help Nageki now.

"I still can't believe what I saw" Yoruichi said, looking at the girl.

"Neither can anyone else, I'm sure" Harribel replied. "I didn't even know that she had become an Arrancar"

"But thanks to that, she was able to survive" Ashido noted.

Orihime went with the immortal Arrancar, who was barely conscious.

"I...noue-san" He murmured.

"Everything will be alright, Nageki-san" She told him as she started rejecting the damage that had been done to his body.

"But I... Failed to protect the one thing I was asked, again" He complained. "He took the Heart of Tsukoyomi"

"But, you told me that box is unbreakable, and the only way to open it is with a massive amount of Hollow Reiatsu, right?"

"Yes... But still, he has it. It is a matter of time before he finds that out. When he does, he'll come back and raid Las Noches in order to collect it, and even if he didn't know, he would kill us all, just because of his revenge"

"Wait. What do you mean?" She asked as she finished healing him.

"I better tell everyone. Thanks, Inoue-san" He stood up. "Guys, is everyone okay?"

"Better than you at least" Grimmjow teased, trying to get the bad taste of Yama's escape out of his mouth.

"Haha... I guess you do" He sadly smiled. "Look, I guess you saw what happened..."

"Yeah, he took the artifact, didn't he?" Satya asked.

"Yes... But as you know, that isn't so great of a deal on its own" Nageki sighed. "The real problem is... That I found out Yama's reason for his hatred towards us, as Hollows I mean"

"Really? He hated our race especially?" Grimmjow inquired as he shrugged. "I thought we were just in his way"

"No, it's deeper than that. In fact... I think I should reveal some other details so that you can get the bigger picture" Nageki replied.

He told everyone about Mugetsu's relation to Yama, as the other direct descendant of Tsukoyomi, as well as the gruesome details of the ancient Raid in Hueco Mundo.

"So, to summarize, he hates us cause we're a piece of Tsukoyomi's legacy..." Harribel simplified. "That's why... He won't give up until he sees us all erased from existence"

"How awful..." Lilynette commented.

"So he wants to take revenge on us and the Old Gods, though it seems like we're the main course, based on what you said" Gin pointed out.

"Tch... He's not that big of a deal" Grimmjow spouted. "Just some overpowered little bitch with daddy issues. I'm sure I can kick his ass with a little bit of training"

"I'm not so sure about that, Grimmjow" Bryssling replied. "He took out all these men on his own. If it wasn't for Nageki-san, I'm pretty sure we would've been in serious trouble too"

"A wise observation, Bryssling, how atypical from you" Satya teased.

"Nah, I'm just stating the obvious. With or without his full power, he's still the King of Jigoku. We can't take him lightly"

"I hope everyone's okay down there..." Orihime thought about the remaining people in Jigoku, especially Ulquiorra.

"They'll be alright" Apacci said.

"I believe so as well" Mila Rose agreed.

"After all... They are the strongest, right?" Sung-Sun pointed out.

"And besides, Kisuke and Hirako are there to help them if things get too complicated" Yoruichi said as well.

"True" Orihime smiled. "What could possibly go wrong?"

~~~~X~~~~

"Ichigo! Nelliel!" Ulquiorra looked at the two, but wasn't able to act in any way.

A painful second that felt like an eternity passed, their Hollow Holes feeling just like a heart being slowly crushed.

The next moment, the two went back into their base forms and fell unconscious

"What just happened?!" Ulquiorra went to Ichigo's side first.

He was breathing.

"He's alive..." He sighed with relief. "But... The mark...!"

His Hollow Hole had the Lance, but it had no colour.

"Don't tell me that she's...!" Ulquiorra imagined the worst as he realized what that meant.

Before he could go see her though, she had already reacted.

"Ungh..." She regained consciousness, looking at her surroundings.

"Nelliel!" Ulquiorra rushed to her side, helping her to get up. "Are you alright?"

"Alright...?" She murmured, looking around, feeling how she could move freely in a body of flesh and bone, rejoicing in the fact that she could feel truly alive. "~kuhuhuhu~ I've never felt better!" She pushed him away.

"What the-" The Primera fell roughly to the floor, completely dumbfounded.

"Finally...! Finally! I can... I can...!" She madly spouted. "I can finally understand..."

She walked towards Ichigo.

Ulquiorra didn't know why, but he felt something was awfully wrong with her.

He pointed his finger and shot a _Cero_ at her, out of pure instinct.

"Argh!" She stopped, frowning. "What the fuck?!"

"Get away from him..." Ulquiorra said. "You... Are not... Nelliel"

"~Kuhuhuhu~ What are you saying, Ulquiorra? Of course it's me!" She giggled evilly.

"I don't know why..." He frowned. "Your Reiatsu is the same as hers, though a lot stronger... Yet... I can just feel that you are not her" He stood up with Chauve-Souris in hand. "Deep within you... There's something as evil as Yama...! OR should I say more evil than Yama!"

"Looks like you're way sharper than I thought. That '**1**' is not there just for display, is it?" She bitterly mentioned his tattoo. "Yes, I am not the Nelliel you used to know" She admitted. "That person is now gone. But... I am certainly Nelliel, no. I am the true Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck"

Ulquiorra simply stared at her as she spoke of things he couldn't understand.

"If you think I am possessed by the Dark Core or anything... You're terribly mistaken" She continued. "I am just the result of the Negative Energy finally releasing the seal placed on me all those years ago..."

"What do you want?" He asked her, ready to fight.

"Simple. I want Ichigo" She replied, looking at him straight in the eye.

In that moment he saw it. The innocent hazel eyes he knew had disappeared. Instead, bright yellow irises and long reptile pupils stared at him.

"W-What?"

"Throughout all these years, I was empty, isolated in the darkest corners of that fake Nel's mind... But now, not only did I take control of this body, but I infused her in my being as well. I can finally, _feel..."_ She seemed to drool with that thought as she looked at Ichigo. "And because of that, I need to kill him and swallow him whole. That way... He will be a part of me, and we'll become one in a way that even transcends being a Whole!"

Ulquiorra had heard enough. He tried to attack her with his spear, but she easily dodged him and kicked him in the stomach, rendering him useless.

Normally, he would've been able to react, but he was way too exhausted.

"What a weakling, you should be ashamed of yourself" She bashed him. "Primera Espada... I deserved that title more than you or anyone! Cause I'm the only one who deserves to be by his side" She spat as she turned his back on him. "Don't worry, I won't be taking his life just yet... He must grow stronger, way stronger! And for that..." Her tone became suddenly sorrowful, so much she could cry. "I have to leave him"

"Eh...?" Ulquiorra did his best to remain conscious, trying to understand her.

"This is the only way for us to be together now..." She muttered, as she went to his side.

She kneeled by his side.

"Poor Ichi... You got all wounded protecting us back there" She licked one of his wounds, the saliva quickly restoring it. "~Mmhhh~ So sweet..."

She carefully licked each and every wound in his body, savoring it as well as making sure it healed completely.

"Is she... Blushing?" Ulquiorra tried to see, though for the distance, he wasn't sure.

She moaned as her tongue tasted his blood, proceeding to suck on the wounds as she caressed his body, face and hair.

"Oh Ichi..." She embraced his head and placed it between her soft breasts. "I finally understand it... I couldn't comprehend what it meant but now, I do... So you must become stronger, insanely stronger! So that when we unite again... No one will be able to stop us!"

"No... Way..." Ulquiorra thought in disbelief, as he saw what that vile shadow of what Nel used to be did with Ichigo, passing out immediately afterwards.

The wicked Nelliel's tears fell over Ichigo as she softly rubbed her face against his, trying to retain his scent permanently.

"I am sorry... Oh, Ichigo, I'm so sorry!" She weeped. "But I know..." She forced herself to stop her lament. "This delightful anguish... This beautiful agony... This wonderful misery... It will all make you strong"

She stood up and cut her palm with her Zanpakutou.

She deposited the dripping blood in Ichigo's lips, knowing that she wouldn't be able to leave if she did something deeper.

"Don't forget that taste, Ichi..." She whispered, walking away. "Please..."

She used _Velocidad_ and rapidly disappeared from the place.

~~~~X~~~~

_A couple minutes later, at Hell's Throne Room..._

"Yo, Kisuke!" Shinji saluted.

"Captain Hirako, long time no see! About, a couple days hasn't it?" Urahara teased him in the same way he did with the others.

"Haha, pretty funny" Shinji rolled his eyes. "Also, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Shinji?"

"Well, you are a Captain and I'm not, though I was just playing. Anyway, Hirako-san, it looks like the party's over"

"So it seems. The mountain of corpses I left back there confirms it" He said with bother. "Will they ever come out of that hole?" He approached the destroyed floor.

"Maybe we should take a look, they might've passed out after giving it their all"

"True, let's go"

The two men came down into the flesh chamber. By now, the remaining bodies were about a tenth of what they initially were, and since Neberu had been defeated, they were now slowly disintegrating.

"Man, this place is hideous..." Shinji shook his head. "There they are!"

"Ulquiorra, Kurosaki-san..." Urahara located them, calm as he could feel their Reiatsu. "Hm...? I don't see Nel-chan around..."

"She's Ichigo's fiancée, right?" Shinji also looked for her. "Ichigo is always so damn lucky with beautiful girls..."

They kept inspecting the chamber, looking for answers.

"Now this is really odd..." Urahara was getting worried. "Hm?" Something else caught his attention.

"What? Found something?"

"Just this strange white object" He showed Shinji the broken cocoon.

"It might have been the Demon King's secret or something of sorts..."

"Whatever happened, Yama is clearly not here" He looked disappointed.

"Wait" Shinji slashed the cocoon, widening his eyes as he discovered what was inside. "Oi, Kisuke... You might wanna have a look at this"

"What's wrong?" He looked as well. "What... What's the meaning of this?"

Inside the cocoon, a nude little girl of pale skin laid on the floor, sleeping.

She had beautiful straight hair, black on her left side, and white on the right. From her head, two little black horns came out. She was a Demon.

"Whatever this is... We can't just overlook it" Shinji admitted, showing the importance of the discovery, strong enough to beat his lazyness.

"That's for sure" Urahara agreed. "I should've asked Hikifune-san to make more Enhanced Food"

"Heh, you went to see her and you didn't tell Hiyori? She's gonna kill you"

"*sigh* No wonder she never liked me as her Captain. Though I don't really care" He smiled. "In the end, it's just like you said at that time... I'm no good at understanding or either caring much about how others feel"

"Nah, don't be so hard on yourself. You're just bad at connecting with people, not a complete sociopath... Or so I want to believe" Shinji clarified. "Though I doubt I'd find anyone more manipulative... The only difference between you and Sousuke is that you know how to act 'ethically', for saying something"

"That's not so comforting, Hirako-san" Urahara chuckled.

"I've never been good in the social aspect either and you know it" The Captain grinned. "But our problems aside... Where the Hell did this girl go? Quite literally..."

"I have no idea and I'm starting to worry..." Urahara admitted. "I can assure she's not dead at least"

"Yeah, I know what you mean" Shinji nodded. "Ichigo wouldn't be idly sleeping if that was the case"

"Which also discards the possibility of her being taken away..." He held his chin as his mind thought of multiple possibilities in a couple seconds. "Guess we'll have to ask them to find out"

"I'll take Ichigo and the girl" Shinji said. "You take the creepy guy" He pointed at Ulquiorra with his head.

"Sure, but still... Where could she be?" He was bothered by the oblivious nature of the situation.

~~~~X~~~~

Nelliel was roaming through the higher levels of Jigoku, looking for an alternate way out.

"...Anyway you look at it, it doesn't matter wether we destroy the Gates of Hell or not" A white haired man covered in black bandages said.

"But then what do you plan to do? The Togabito that died during this time did not resurrect. We're alone and have no chance of defeating a warden" The other man replied. He had purple hair, parted in a fringe, and chains and shackles in his neck and body.

"Hello, you are damned souls, right?" She smiled at them, though she was just pretending to be friendly. "I'm kinda lost, do you know a way out?"

The two Togabito looked at each other stranged.

"We prefer the term Togabito, but, you don't look like one of us... Your Reiatsu is that of a living being"

"Of course it is, I am alive, dumbass" She got tired of the act. "Look, I just need to get out, this place is done for"

"What do you mean?" The other man asked.

"The King of Hell himself has left. The Dukes, the Princes, they're all dead" Nelliel replied. "You all could just go back to wherever you came from and no one would care. But, for that, you need to know this place and I, simply don't"

"So... We're basically, on our own?" The purple haired man smiled. "I mean, I realized that security was light but... This is just amazing!"

"Yes, you're free, congratulations. Now, where do I have to go?" She was containing her urge to destroy him just because of his uselessness to her.

"If what you say is true, the Main Gate is the way to go" The other man answered. "We'll be heading there right now, so why don't you come with us?" He offered, but was clearly seeking something in return. "This woman is strong, I can easily tell. If anything happens, she can take care of it"

"*sigh* Fine..." She facepalmed wanting to get out of that place as soon as possible. "What's your name?"

"I'm Shuren, and this is..." The purple haired man replied.

"Kokutou" The white haired man responded. "Who are you and, what are you doing here?" He asked her.

"I'm Nelliel. I don't wanna go into detail but... I came here with someone, due to all this chaos, but we got separated and that's that" She quickly made up something quick, basing in the actual events.

"Very well then, that means you're strong enough to fight powerful Demons, right?" Kokutou wanted to make sure.

"I would kill you two in an instant if it wasn't for the fact that I'm lost" She confessed. "You can imagine what I'll do to the goddamn Oni, Majin or whatever if it gets in my way" Her yellow eyes shined with murderous intent.

"*gulp* Yes, I can..." Shuren shook a bit.

About an hour later, they reached a colossal gate of black Devil Iron, sealed by multiple locks and chains.

"Well, here we are" Kokutou said with a sigh.

"Ha! I told you we had to destroy the gates of Hell!" Shuren claimed proudly.

"We still don't know if that's gonna work" Kokutou refuted.

"I'll tear your mouth open if you keep talking, how's that?" Nelliel got fed up.

"S-Sorry!" Shuren cowardly apologized.

Kokutou simply stood in silence.

"_Shunkou!"_ The Dark Nelliel used the ability Yoruichi had taught its good counterpart. "Good... This should be enough" She drew her Zanpakutou. "_Corte Infernal!"_

With a dark version of _Corte Abrasador_, powered to a new level by the Dark Energy inside her, she opened the gates of Hell in five slashes, as they were hot enough to melt the Devil Iron chains and locks.

Behind the gates, a portal that shifted between various destinations of Earth were on sight, allowing the user to choose from its variety, although they were all close to Karakura due to it being the Important Spirit Ground.

"Thank you for bringing me here, now get lost before I change my mind" She told the two, feeling good-willed only thanks to her quality time with Ichigo.

"So long..." Kokutou exited through the portal. "It seems that the disappearance of Jigoku's ruler has rendered the chain useless, so I'm as good as free" He thought with a grin.

"Farewell" Shuren made a reverence and left, not wasting Nel's time by making an annoying remark to Kokutou.

Nelliel was about to cross the path herself when a sudden pressence stopped her on her tracks.

"Not so fast, Miss" A man told her.

"Ugh... What now?" She turned around.

A young man of blue eyes and mid-length black hair had stopped her. He had a dark-blue tunic with golden chains around it. A gold emblem with a scale engraved hanged from a necklace, and he had two swords of different sheaths on his back.

"I know what you are. That Evil Aura around you is, without a doubt, the Dark Core" He said.

As she heard that, she prepared her blade to counter-attack. However, there was no attack to counter.

"Don't get the wrong idea" He tried to calm her. "I'm not gonna hurt you, as that puts us on the same team"

"Did he see when the Dark Energy enter this body?" She wondered. "If that was the case... What do you want?"

"Simple. I bet Yama-san will be delighted to have you as an ally. He loves seeing Hollows killing each other more than anything else, and you clearly have what it takes to be of use to him"

"Oh, really?" She gave him a dread look. "Now I'm gonna tell you, don't take this the wrong way. I'm not your, or Yama's friend, much less your toy. If I do anything, it's only because _I_ want to do that"

"It's fine by me" He shrugged, not caring much. "All I can do, is offer you the chance to have Kurosaki Ichigo"

That got her interested in the blink of an eye.

"If that's the case... We can have a deal, but, I'll only do it with Yama himself" She clarified.

"Of course, I would expect no less" He nodded, opening a Kimon that came out in no other place but the Seireitei.

"Who are you, by the way?" She inquired.

"My name's Mitsuyo. I am the Four Horsemen's Famine" He replied, entering the portal.

"This could be a trap... But who cares?" She giggled. "After all, the one who betrays... Is me. And if this is the best way to ensure we meet again, Ichi... I'll do it a thousand times"

* * *

**I hate myself. I don't know if it's some kind of test I decided to put myself when I made this happen, but as an artist, I believe that not everything you create must be something you're comfortable with.**

**Sometimes, in order to achieve a more complex development, an artist must create something that makes him uncomfortable, if possible, to the point that he despises himself, so that he can grow along with the art he's creating.**

**That's what I did right now, shattering everything that felt perfect and pure. Tainting my favourite character just to see how far I can get...**

**A truly self-destructing behaviour, isn't it? But at the same time... That's so like me.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Another great chapter! Whoa! I was SO not expecting Orihime to temporarily die then suddenly revive herself again! She was extremely lucky! Still, she'll need to be VERY careful if she gets into another life/death situation. Otherwise, if not strong enough to (possibly) use her ability more than once, she's gone for good!_**

**_I digress though._**

**_Looks like not only are things going bad for Ichigo, Nel, and Ulquiorra as they're facing V, it also seems that besides the Regai attacking Soul Society, there's also the Four Horsemen and Yama! Insane!_**

**_Also, when Yama mentioned something about a "trick" Nageki did to Nel...what did he mean? Hmm...somehow I've a bad feeling should this truth come to light..._**

**Reply: I remember someone asking what could her power to reject become if she turned into an Arrancar, and this is pretty much my answer.****It's important to note that the Four Horsemen conquered the Seireitei while it was taken over by Kageroza, so you'll see how that develops.**

**Finally, that explanation comes next Chapter, but it explains the existence of this isolated consciousness Nel recognized as Scar Queen, and... The reason why she's no longer herself as well.**

**Please, stay. This is not the end, I swear. So don't rage-quit the story just cause something terrible just happened.**

**I'm sorry. Evhron.**

**PS: Dark Nel's eyes are just like Albedo's from Overlord, in case you're wondering how it would look.**

**Glosary****:**

**_Huracán Vampiro: _Vampire Hurricane.**

**_Mordred: _A character related to the Arthurian leyend. He's treated as his traitorous nephew, so it relates to Nel's aspect of death. The lance looks just like the one from CFYOW.**

**_Corte Infernal: _Infernal Slash. Corrupted _Corte Abrasador._**


	36. Confession

Urahara and Shinji came back to Hueco Mundo through the Kimon, carrying Ichigo, Ulquiorra and the mysterious Demon girl.

Everyone had now moved to the Gate to see them when they arrived, so they received a warm welcome.

"They made it back!" Orihime exclaimed happily as she saw her friends.

"*sigh* Everyone's safe..." Harribel said in relief.

"I'm afraid we cannot celebrate just yet" Urahara replied bitterly.

"Eh?" Everyone muttered as they noticed what he meant.

"That... That is not..." Pesche instantly realized.

"Nel-sama..." Dondochakka completed.

"No, that's just some oddity we came across" Urahara simply replied.

"What happened Kisuke? Where's Nel?" Yoruichi asked him.

Nageki closed his eyes painfully, already believing it was all his fault.

"That's the problem" Shinji answered. "We have no idea"

"No...!" Orihime and Harribel became greatly saddened by that piece of information.

"Nel...sama..." Tier muttered, trying her hardest not to break, seeing the warm expression of her friend and mentor inside her mind to try to endure.

"It is important to note that there are no signs that she was killed" Urahara clarified. "And the possibility that she was taken away seems very unlikely as well"

"It is more like... She disappeared into thin air" Shinji summarized.

"How is that even possible?" Grimmjow inquired.

"It's not. That's the problem" Yoruichi replied.

"My..." Gin was also at a loss for words, his brain trying to find a plausible scenario that explained it all.

"I can see you're all shook by this... But, there's nothing we can do about it, except hoping that Ulquiorra or Ichigo know something" Urahara concluded. "Now, if there's something productive you'd like to try, I recommend to hone your skills to the limit in order to fight once again"

"What's gonna happen now?" Lilynette wondered, worried about the tip the shop owner gave them.

"We don't know for sure..." Yoruichi started. "But we believe that the conquest of Soul Society was just a means to an end"

"Which is...?" Ashido inquired, his heart still moved by the fact that the Seireitei had fallen.

"The sacrifice of Karakura Town. Yama wants to create an Ouken to enter and absorb the power of the Soul King" Urahara replied. "It's the only possible explanation"

"Then... We have to get ready for the final assault" Satya deduced.

"It's all or nothing" Bryssling added.

Everyone realized the gravity of the situation. Whatever happened now, would decide the fate of all the Worlds, regardless of which one was destroyed first.

"I'm going back to the shop" Shinji said. "As much as I want to uncover this mystery, there are more important things I gotta do"

"That's true" Yoruichi agreed. "We must finish the preparations to stop Yama in Soul Society. If he reaches Karakura, it's over"

"*sigh* Guess we'll have to start doing something as well" Grimmjow muttered in reply.

"I'll stay here for another while" Urahara said. "I might be able to help"

"In that case..." Shinji wore his mask. "See ya"

The Vizard opened a _Garganta_, showing how much he increased his Hollow capabilities.

"Good luck" Yoruichi told them all, leaving with Shinji through the portal.

The rest remained in the place, still in shock with the news.

"Urahara-san" Nageki called his name.

"What is it, Nakagawa-san?"

"I think we should put Ichigo and Ulquiorra in the Healing Room. There we should wait to... Know more about it" He replied.

"Not trying to imply anything but... You sound like you know something already" Urahara looked him straight into his fuchsia eyes.

"I just... Have a bad feeling" Nageki told the truth.

"We all do..." He agreed, still disappointed that he couldn't find a reason. "So, you all, don't let this get to you. We're gonna find out the truth behind this, you can leave it in our hands. Meanwhile, you should focus on your own training, as this is most likely the last straw, for both us and the enemy"

"O-Okay..." Harribel took the lead, swallowing her worries and taking the role that fitted her, as the strongest conscious Espada and previous Queen of Hueco Mundo. "Everyone who's going to fight, follow me. We're gonna push ourselves to the limit. I won't tolerate any slackers, so if you're not completely sure about it, don't even bother to come. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes!" They all said, with the exception of Nel's Fracciones, Nageki, Orihime and Urahara.

"Perfect. Now, get a move on. We haven't got a single second to rest"

All the Espada and strong Arrancar went behind her into the desert, in hope to be of use in the final battle.

The others went to the Healing Room in hope of getting answers and, even more hopefully, a way to fix the current situation.

Orihime, obviously, took care of all the wounds remaining in Ulquiorra's body.

"There it is..." She gently kissed his forehead as she finished. "You did great, Ulqui-kun, so you don't have to blame yourself for anything..."

Then she turned to Ichigo.

"Hm?" She looked surprised.

"Is something wrong?" Urahara wondered.

"Not really. It's just... Ulquiorra, despite his regenerative abilities, still had a couple serious wounds I had to take care of. Kurosaki-kun on the other hand... Is completely restored. There are not even traces of damage"

"Could that be due to the fact that, in general, he's a superior Arrancar, Nageki-san?"

"I... I believe it could be that, under more normal circumstances. However, by Ulquiorra's wounds, I can tell that whatever they faced wasn't the kind of encounter Ichigo would come unscathed from, even as powerful as he is right now. In fact, I would even be willing to bet that the three had to fight together and even then had a pretty hard time" Nageki correctly deduced.

"Then... Why would he...?" Orihime inspected him closer, trying to find a clue that could answer that new enigma. "Could it be...?"

"Did you find something?" Nageki inquired.

"No... I just remembered that Nel-san mentioned that she knew a great deal of _Kaidou_, but if that was the case... There would be traces of that. On the other hand, her saliva also had healing properties, but they couldn't have been so great if she decided to learn _Kaidou"_

"So we're back at square one" Urahara concluded with a sigh.

In that moment, the Primera Espada slowly opened his eyes, feeling a bit dizzy.

"O... Ori..." He murmured.

"Ulqui-kun!" Orihime turned to him.

"Orihime" He smiled. "You are... Alive..."

"Ulquiorra..." She became surprised. "Don't tell me you..."

"Yes. I felt it..." He nodded once. "That cursed Yama tried to kill you... Didn't he...?"

"Y-Yeah..." She remembered, though it wasn't a nice memory at all. "But no need to worry, I'm safe and sound! And you are too"

"I guess..." He muttered, not really upbeat. "_I_... Am alright. But... I can't say the same about... Ichigo"

"So you know something" Urahara grinned.

"Ulquiorra-san" Nageki said politely. "Could you please tell us what happened back there?"

"Yes... Yes, I can" He sighed as he sat on the bed. "Actually, it is a must that I do so. It's the least I can do..." He could clearly see how he helplessly failed to stop the evil Nelliel.

"Do you know what happened... To Nel-sama?" Pesche inquired, hopeful.

"*sigh* Yes... I do" He confessed. "But first, let me tell you everything from the start.

You see... We confronted Yama, and he admitted not only to hate our kind, but especially Ichigo"

"Yes, I uncovered that a while ago too" Nageki told him. "Oh, sorry to interrupt, please go on"

"Anyways, he guided us to a secret chamber he built underneath Hell's Throne Room. There, he had been creating an amalgamation of corpses and souls in the form of a cocoon, powered by half of his hearts and an object he designed to absorb and contain enormus quantities of Negative Energy. Said artifact was called... The Dark Core, and was the main source of the abomination.

It seems, he wanted to create an artificial God inside the cocoon, and the final offer was none other than our lives"

"Nel-san was with you that whole time, wasn't she?" Orihime asked.

"Yes, up to that point nothing was out of place. Moving on, Yama left through a Kimon, entering Hueco Mundo to steal the Heart of Tsukoyomi and... Kill Orihime to make me pay for my act of treason.

I swear... I really wanted to come here and save you, Orihime, but it was a tremendous risk. The being Yama was gestating through that gruesome experiment was far too great a danger to leave Ichigo and Nelliel on their own, not mentioning the fact that I would probably be too late even if I tried"

"Don't worry. I understand" She sat by his side and put one hand on top of his as she entangled his fingers with the Espada's.

"Well... The next step was obviously a fight. The cocoon also had a main consciousness that also happened to be the missing Duke, V, so we faced it along with the rest of the abomination, trying to stop the being inside from fully developing itself.

It wasn't really easy, but together, we managed to break the cocoon to the point it became unstable, forcing the being inside to decline, or so it seemed"

"Actually, about that..." Urahara remembered. "There's something I have to show you, but it can wait so... Please go on"

"The main consciousness, V, absorbed the energy from the cocoon, which by the way, was some kind of Evil Light. As if... A pure light was tainted by the Negative Energy. In that way, V became an incomplete Neberu, which was the name Yama gave to the creature.

In spite of its unstable form and bestial nature, Neberu was a terribly powerful adversary. Not only was completely over the top in terms of attack, defense, speed and all the other basic stats that you can think of, but, in its own way, it was greatly intelligent. Probably a genius, at least in battle. It could quickly learn our patterns and attacks, and counter them in the next move. I truly believe, Neberu was the most dangerous foe we've ever faced, and up to that point, we were completely overwhelmed"

"What... Happened then?" Dondochakka became curious.

"Nelliel... Unlocked _Etapa Final__" _He revealed.

Everyone stood in awe as he said that.

"As you might imagine, she became incredibly strong. Thanks to that change, we just managed to change the course of the battle, putting Neberu in a spot that it couldn't read our movements with the same ease as it had done the whole time.

We were all really exhausted, but Ichigo decided that we had to give it one last try in order to destroy the creature, and again, Nelliel was the key. Her ability, _Traidor, _allowed her to return an attack to the user, which was what destroyed Neberu in the end, redirecting a beam of Light and Dark Reiatsu none of us could have created on our own, or even combining our powers, to say the truth"

"Amazing..." Pesche and Dondochakka's eyes glistened with pride.

"We were so happy with that feeling of victory, witnessing how Neberu disintegrated and returned to the nothingness it was born from..." Ulquiorra smiled for a moment. "But, that was the beginning of this calamity"

They all focused 110% of their attention on what he was about to say.

"When Neberu perished, the Dark Core was also broken, which let out an indescribable amount of Negative Energy in the chamber. I didn't really get what was going on, as I suddenly felt my mind going all crazy, expressing different negative emotions in an uncontrollable frenzy.

The next thing I saw, was Ichigo and Nelliel screaming in a really loud and painful way. I don't know what happened but... The two fell unconscious after that.

The first thing I did, was check up on Ichigo. He still had a pulse, and was breathing quietly but certainly. I was relieved at first, thinking everything was fine for a single moment of innocence and foolishness. However, as soon as I looked more carefully, I noticed that something was wrong.

Earlier, when I felt the pain of Yama's intent to kill Orihime, Ichigo told me that I needed not to worry, as my mark still had its colour. His, though, had completely lost the pink colour of Nelliel's Reiatsu"

"Don't tell me that she...!" Orihime covered her mouth with both hands, almost starting to cry.

"I thought that was it at first, but no. She wasn't dead. As if on cue, she woke up. Of course, I rushed to her side and helped her. I thought everything was alright, but the way she spoke... Her laugh... Everything had... Changed"

"What do you mean?" Urahara asked for a more profound description.

"It was... Dark. It felt evil in a way. It was no longer the warmth or calm she tended to express with her words. It was more like... Some malicious mockery.

Now, this is an analysis I can make in this moment, after everything occurred. In that instant, I didn't really process it, so I just let it go. The next thing she did though, was violently push me away, which was really something out of character for her... And then it didn't cross my mind, but it reached my gut. That was not Nelliel, not anymore..."

Everyone loss their voice as they heard that unbelievable development.

"But... Ulquiorra-sama... That... That is simply...!" Pesche lost it.

"That can't be! It's nonsense!" Dondochakka protested.

"Guys" Orihime tried to comfort them. "I know that this must be almost impossible for you right now, but please, try to keep yourselves as calm as you can and wait for him to finish"

They sighed uncomfortably, but accepted the girl's request.

"She went towards Ichigo, but I could feel that letting her wasn't a good idea, so I shot a _Cero_ at her, although I was already exhausted after the battle" He admitted. "After confronting her, she decided to tell me the truth. She said that she was Nelliel, but not the one we used to know, and that the 'old one' was... Gone. After that, I asked her what did she want, to which she replied..." He had trouble saying it, but his look towards Ichigo left it clear.

"What did she want from Ichigo?" Nageki quickly questioned.

"She wanted to... Eat him, spouting some nonsense about that being the only way in which they could be together now"

Everyone let a silent scream out, except Urahara, who merely opened his mouth a bit, and Nageki, who seemed to finally understand where everything was going.

"Finally, I did my best to try to stop her, but I was in no condition to fight and she... She was brutally stronger. Like, probably comparable to Ichigo's base form, if not stronger"

"And that is a lot to say..." Orihime knew it.

"I'm sorry, but... That's basically it. Everything ended with me losing consciousness. To tell the truth... I'm not sure I can describe the rest clearly, although I know I did my best effort to stay awake"

"But... If that's true... Why is Ichigo still alive?" The shop owner inquired.

"Because she also said that Ichigo was not ready. He had to become stronger, and then... She would come back and consume him"

"Damn... Talk about a _femme-fatale" _Urahara teased, in spite of the more than delicate situation.

"Ulqui-kun, that's all you remember?" Orihime asked him.

"More or less. I'm still a bit fuzzy in the head and... Really confused by the sudden turn of events. That said, I can assure you that everything I've said so far is true"

"Kgh..." Pesche and Dondochakka clenched their fists as they heard that.

"Guys. If you need a moment, you can just-" Orihime offered.

"Yes. We'll go for a..." Dondochakka said.

"...A little walk would be... Okay..." Pesche completed, exiting the room along with his brother.

The two Fracciones had heard more than enough. Their poor hearts were saturated with the bad news, so they needed a moment of catharsis.

"You took it way better than I expected" Ulquiorra said, surprised to see his girlfriend's reaction.

"Well... I..." At first she said calmly, but it was clear that she couldn't hold it any longer. "I..." She sobbed. "I can't do this anymore!"

"O-Orihime..." Ulquiorra embraced her.

"How could I ever accept...? That Nel-san is just...! Gone!" She cried helplessly. "How could I ever see Ichigo... How could I...? How will we even tell him?!"

"I... I don't know... But certainly, we cannot hide something of such magnitude" He replied, not comforting her, but saying what had to be done.

"No, Ulquiorra... You don't understand..." She wept. "If Ichigo knows about this... He won't be able to get up... Never again..."

"But I... I can't possibly lie about this, or about anything really. He'll see right through me"

"Just try... Please. Otherwise... We'll loose him forever" Orihime dried her tears.

"Okay" He sighed. "I'll try to try"

"That's enough" She kissed him, seeking comfort in her love's black lips. "I... I'll also go take some air... I can't let Ichigo see me like this... He'll immediately realize that something's going on"

"I'll go with you, Inoue-san. I hope you don't mind" Urahara said, getting up. "I'm sure Nageki knows something more, but he won't reveal it unless he feels safe, and with me here, that won't be the case, I'm sure..." He thought, already devising some plan to get that information.

"No, not at all... I'm sure this also affected you, Urahara-san" Orihime replied.

"Ah, there's no limit to how naïve you can be, is there, Inoue-san?" The Shinigami thought with a sigh. "Yeah... It is something hard to digest"

The two left, while Ulquiorra decided to stay for another while, trying to get a better recollection of his memories as he looked at Ichigo, and Nageki... Simply started building up courage to put up front to his terrible mistake.

An hour later, Urahara decided to return, hidden by the Reiatsu Concealing Cloak he had invented.

"To think that I would have to use this for spying, when I only intended to make a stealthy appearance with the Shadow Demon" Urahara thought.

About three more hours passed without any movement. Ulquiorra was now laying on the bed, looking at the roof as his mind drifted inside the hazy fragments of his last conscious moments.

Nageki simply stared at Ichigo with a stoic expression, ready to confess his failure to him when the time came.

Urahara patiently waited for the moment of truth, not showing any signs of boredom or anxiety. He was above that. He needed to be in order to find out.

"N... Nel..." Ichigo muttered. "Don't... Leave... Me..."

His eyes suddenly opened, as if escaping a horrible nightmare.

"Ichigo! You're back" Ulquiorra noticed, sitting in the bed to look at him. "It seems you had a rough sleep"

The orange haired Arrancar did the same, looking at him in the eye.

"I just... Had a bad dream. I can't seem to remember much anymore, but I think it had something to do with Nel..." He replied.

Ulquiorra's look deviated as soon as he heard that name. Of course, Ichigo noticed something was going on.

"Ulquiorra… Where is she?" He asked him, realizing that Nel was not there.

Nageki decided to stay as an observer for another while, waiting for the right moment to speak.

"Well, you see… I… I wasn't-"

"Don't try to lie. You're terrible at it"

"*sigh* I know..." He had told Inoue that such thing would occur. "But, Orihime said that-"

"Inoue is not the ruler of Hueco Mundo. Right now, I'm ordering you as your King. What happened to Nel? Is she… Is she dead?!" He insisted.

Ulquiorra grinded his teeth uncomfortably.

"No... Not exactly"

"What the fuck does that mean?!" Ichigo got up from the bed and punched the wall, reducing it to mere debris.

"Geez... Things are getting serious" Urahara thought, his eyes glued to Ichigo and his reaction.

"In her own words… She is not the Nelliel we used to know" Ulquiorra explained. "She told me… That she had to abandon you, so that you would become stronger, cause next time you saw each other… She wanted to kill you and literally... Devour you"

"W-What? W-W-W…WHY? Why… Would she say something like that? What does she mean that she's not the same?! Just what… WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!" The whole area shook, as if there was an earthquake.

Ulquiorra didn't know what to do in order to explain the unspeakable event to him. However, there was someone who gave it a try.

"Ichigo" Nageki spoke softly to him, trying to calm him down.

"Nageki! What…? What happened to Nel? It's all just a joke, right? She… She wanted to fool around a bit didn't she? Haha… Hahahahahaha…" Ichigo was becoming insane. "Tell me this is simply the worst nightmare I've ever had"

"Ngh… I'm afraid I cannot. This… This is reality, Ichigo" Nageki bitterly admitted. "And I think… It's all my fault"

"Here we go" Urahara thought, as the moment he had been waiting finally arrived.

"W-Why? What did you do that makes you say that?" Ichigo inquired, surprised.

Ulquiorra also listened carefully, wanting to understand as well.

"It is something I did way back. It was during the time when she was still a beast" Nageki spoke.

"You mean… When she was known as Scar Queen?"

"Yeah… Back then, I thought I had made the right choice. But now I see how wrong I was. I should've never done it…!"

"But tell me, Nageki! What did you do to her?!" He was losing his patience.

"You see, all of our emotions, fear, love, hate, sadness, happiness… It is all just chemical reactions inside of us. My power to control elements can also apply to other beings. I can alter their own molecular structure, as well as the reactions inside their bodies"

"He couldn't...!" Urahara understood what that meant.

"No way… Nageki… Just what the fuck did you…?" Ichigo's look was completely consumed by despair.

"When I met her, she was a monster, Ichigo. All I could see in her, was an indefinite bloodlust and an inexhaustible savagery. I know… That she must've been much more, but even if that was the case, it was impossible for me to understand her to that extent, and even more if she concealed it all with her bestial attitude" He explained. "So I made a shortcut. I designed a formula that was able to change her. Inserting an input of chemical reactions that blocked her bloodlust and reduced her violent tendencies to a minimum, she would eventually become a person I could deal with. It was not an instant change, but it was enough to open her mind to the ideas I was trying to insert in her in the first place. With that… She was a success. I managed to replicate the soft Yukari I knew back in my day, the one Mugetsu had carved out of the Scar Queen she used to be"

"So… You artificially made her the way she is" He concluded.

"Basically, yes" He nodded. "But that… Came at a price... One I only truly came to realize after hearing Ulquiorra's words..."

Ichigo did not blink as he waited for the verdict.

"By creating a 'new' Nelliel, I discarded a part of her. Said part, was made out of pure negative traits of her being, and apparently, it was the real reason why Gamuza acted so wickedly. Actually, the first reaction she had was seeing nightmares, every night... I told her it was just a side effect caused by her being starting to deny her true nature, but I swear I never...! I never... I never thought it was a sign of something so dreadful..." He explained. "Ulquiorra told me that a great amount of Negative Energy entered her system, right?"

"Yes. When that dark orb was destroyed, just as we defeated Neberu... A source of pure Negative Energy he collected from both Demons and tortured Souls was freed, all at once. All the Demons we killed fed said thing, in fact" Ichigo recalled. "So, I guess you can imagine the amount that was released"

"That leads to a single explanation" Nageki concluded. "That orb, the Dark Core as Ulquiorra mentioned, fed the suppressed darkness inside of Nelliel, which gained control of her being. That's why she said that she was a different Nelliel, and considering that she's a being of pure negativity… Calling her Scar Queen wouldn't be right either. She's pure evil, Ichigo. If you'd like to call her in some way, I believe Dark Nelliel would be the most accurate"

"So… Are you saying that... MY Nel is gone…? As in... Forever?" Ichigo hopelessly asked.

"I'm not sure…" Nageki replied. "For instance, can you tell with your Hollow Hole?" He asked back.

"Back then…" He remembered the pain he felt in his Hollow Hole. "I felt like my heart was being ripped apart. What… What was that?" He asked, panicking. "I... I don't… I don't feel her… I can't feel her Soul anymore! What the Hell is happening?!"

"Oh no…" Nageki's look seemed to lose all hope as well. "There is a chance...That the darkness was so strong… That it… It severed your Whole Link. Your souls are no longer connected"

"It's as if she was... Dead" Ulquiorra linked that to the loss in colour in Ichigo's mark.

"No…" Ichigo's eyes lost all life. "Nel…"

He could see every beautiful moment he had spent with her shattering, becoming an illusion in the face of reality. Tears fell from his eyes as his whole world crumbled in an instant, shattering like a glass, in small incongruent pieces that would never fit together again.

"Ichigo, I can't say I feel bad for you, or her. I simply cannot, it's not in me..." Nageki said. "But believe me when I say that I feel like shit right now. I'm a complete imbecile. I couldn't despise myself any more... If you want to kill me, go ahead. If you want to torture me 'til I die, do it. I won't complain cause… I deserve that and much worse"

Ichigo punched him into the closest wall, not feeling any better. He was already dead inside, so he just laid back on the bed with a hollow expression. Lying awake in bed, feeling the spot on his chest, where she used to rest her head... Was all that remained.

Ulquiorra looked with pity as his friend turned into an empty vessel in a single instant. A mere carcass of what he used to be seconds ago. As a result, for the first time, he understood just how fearsome love could be. It could bring a man back from the dead, but it could also kill him beyond death.

As he thought about said thing, he remembered what had shocked him the most out of his encounter with Dark Nel.

"Nageki!" He called him.

"What…?" The sempiternal Arrancar asked lifeless, still embedded in the wall.

"Back then… Nel- Dark Nelliel did something I couldn't understand" He revealed. "It confused me so much that I completely denied it. I even thought my eyes had to be deceiving me…"

"What did she do?" He asked, regaining a bit of energy.

"You see, we were all quite wounded, and… Honestly, I had no idea she could do that until that moment, but her saliva seems to have healing properties, and pretty good at that"

"Ah, yes, Inoue-san mentioned it earlier. What's wrong with that?"

"After beating me, she went to Ichigo's unconscious body. She must have said something, I'm sure, cause I saw her mouth moving… But I couldn't catch it. However, I managed to see what she did before everything went black: She licked every wound in his body, carefully. She made sure that each and every one of them was healed completely, and once she finished… She kissed him"

Ichigo's eyes seemed to recover a bit of light.

"And it wasn't just a mere kiss" Ulquiorra continued. "She did not leave his mouth until she didn't have other choice. She drooled and panted heavily as her lips left his, and I think… She was crying as she stared at Ichigo. I lost consciousness afterwards"

"Is that… True?" Nageki seemed amused.

"Could it be...?" Urahara widened his eyes.

"Absolutely, I had trouble remembering it until now, but there's no mistake. So… Is it possible that despite everything… She still feels something for Ichigo?" The Primera theorized.

"I… I wouldn't be able to tell so easily. But, it is likely that at the very least, she's still attracted to him out of lust" Nageki replied, giving a more rational argument. "But… It is also possible that there is still a trace left of the Nelliel we know. In that case, it's more likely that her most prominent emotion became a part of Dark Nelliel as well, said emotion being…"

"...Her love for Ichigo" Ulquiorra completed, feeling hopeful. "Yeah, that's right!"

"What is it?"

"She also mentioned something I didn't really get back then. She said that she had also absorbed that 'fake' Nel, and that thanks to that, she could finally 'feel'. Could she mean that... She could finally... Love?"

Ichigo's expression recovered completely, as if that minuscule glimpse of hope had given him a reason to keep fighting until the very end.

"Ulquiorra" He spoke. "She said that I had to become stronger so that we could meet again, right?"

"Y-Yes... She did" He was surprised to see that sudden change.

"Very well then" Ichigo decided. "Tell Harribel she's in charge until I return"

"Where are you going?" Nageki inquired.

"To become stronger, what else?" He simply replied. "If you wanna keep hating yourself in this place, go ahead. But if you truly want to find redemption, go to your lab and find a way to get my love back"

"I... Ichigo..." He was astonished to see that the King still relied on him.

"If you have trouble, ask Urahara for help. Self-hatred will get us nowhere" He concluded. "If by any chance, things get serious before I return... Don't hesitate to fight. I'll get back to you in time, and put an end to all this shit. I promise"

"I understand" Ulquiorra nodded, Nageki following. "Good luck, Ichigo"

"Sorry, I appreciate your wishes but..." He got as serious as he could. "...I'm tired of relying on luck. It's time I start to get the things I want with my own hands"

"Even if you say that..." Urahara pretended to enter the room, as if he hadn't been watching the whole time. "You can't act like everything until this point has been mere luck or talent. You are a hard-working man, Ichigo, don't fool yourself"

"Then I have to work harder. Right now, not having her is the same as not having anything. For that reason, it will be all worthless unless I bring her back" He said, determined to achieve that at any cost.

"Do your best" Urahara told him.

He just nodded and went through the hole in the wall he made earlier, using _Velocidad_ to exit Las Noches.

"Mugetsu... Where to...?" He asked for directions.

"Go West. Don't stop until you reach The Holy Mountain"

"What mountain is that?"

"Oh, you'll know when you see it" Mugetsu chuckled. "Although you already do"

Ichigo didn't ask more questions and looked to the horizon, ready to obtain the power he had inherited from the God of the Night himself.

"Nel... I promise you..." He vowed, placing his hand on his mark. "I shall not rest, I shall not fold... 'Til I bring you back!"

~~~~X~~~~

Dark Nel was walking behind Mitsuyo, passing through ancient corridors of some structure she didn't recognize.

"Are we really in Soul Society? Cause this looks really different from what I've heard" She inquired.

"That is because we're not staying down there with the mortal Souls. We brought our own home"

"Home? You don't live in Jigoku?"

"Actually not. We four live in an alternate dimension, in this castle. Right now, we simply summoned the castle to the realm of Souls" Mitsuyo explained. "It is a castle in the sky, so we're not in direct contact with anyone else"

"I see..." She looked around. "But then... Are you not Demons?"

"Another frequent mistake when dealing with us. We are not Majin, or any form of Demon really. We are Fallen Angels"

"Fallen... Angels...?"

"Many cultures use that term to refer to Angels who betrayed the Heavens and fell upon Hell, but the truth is, those are frequently Majin. We, on the other hand, are just Angels who decide to obtain the power of Darkness. Simply put, we chose to become dark Angels for the power it meant"

"So that's the difference. And since when do you work with Yama? For what I've noticed you don't act like a subordinate, more like a partner"

"Good observation. You see, we actually worked under Susano'o, the God of Sea and Storms, But with the peace that rules Takemagahara, our purpose is lost. We were born to create conflict, to inflict pain upon the Mortal Worlds and their inhabitants. That's our role, and we don't know any other way of life. Because of that, Yama-proposed that we started a war, and that's simply perfect. I haven't been able to fight yet, but I know it's just a matter of time. Seku is having a blast with 'The Plague' and Ren got some action earlier, but I'm calm. I can't say the same about Kento though"

"He must be a brute" She deduced.

"And spot on again. You're actually pretty good at this" Mitsuyo complimented.

"I know" She simply replied, not caring about what one of the Four Horsemen thought of her.

In the end, everyone was the same. In her eyes, they were all mere flesh puppets waiting to be annihilated and consumed. Everyone... But her special one.

Arriving upon a cozy room, with a fireplace, sofas and even a TV-like screen that showed images of Soul Society, were the remaining members.

"Oh, Mitsuyo, you're back!" A white haired young man who looked quite childish said.

He had red irises, and mid-length crazy hair, though not reaching its shoulders. He was wearing a gray tunic as that of a cleric.

"Why so surprised, Seku? It was just a recognizance mission so it wasn't to last"

"Nah, I was just eagerly waiting for you to see this!" He pointed at the screen.

All the Shinigami in Soul Society had been turned into living zombies due to Seku's Plague.

"Ah, I knew you had done it" Mitsuyo said, uninterested.

"Yeah, but seeing it like this is a treat! Each and every one of those Shinigami has become one of my Ghouls! Ahahahahahaha!" He giggled like a kid in a theme park.

"Oi, Mitsuyo, who's this beauty you brought here?" Another man with tanned skin, short red hair and green eyes said.

He had a toned body, with all his muscles well-developed. He wore an outfit reminiscent of a Viking, though his chest was uncovered.

"She's the current holder of the Dark Core, Kento. I thought she could be of use to us, given Yama-san's interests" Mitsuyo replied.

"So that's it, huh?" He stood up from the sofa to approach the two. "Like, you can make up excuses all you want, but I doubt even someone like you would be able to contain himself around a woman like this..." He grinned as he extended his hand, ready to grope one of her breasts.

Dark Nel smirked as she got the provocation she needed. She got her Zanpakutou out of the sheath in the blink of an eye and slashed Kento's arm without further trouble.

"W-What the...?" The warrior Fallen Angel muttered in shock.

"Sorry, but could you please refrain from touching me with those filthy hands?" She asked innocently. "This body is only for my beloved Ichi to enjoy..."

"Y-You whore...!" Kento raised a giant claymore with his remaining hand, ready to slash her in two.

Dark Nel simply licked her lips as she prepared to counter.

"Enough, Kento" Ren appeared in between, stopping him by the arm. "I'm trying to read here. Also, it is your fault for acting in such a shameless way, despite her being a mortal... How disgusting"

"You don't want to get in trouble with her, I can tell you that" Mitsuyo added.

"Grrr..." Kento stared at her, full of rage.

"Oh... Playtime's over?" She put the sword back in the green sheath. "Well, I was gonna get bored pretty quick with a weakling like that... ~kuhuhu~"

"You god damned bit-"

Ren hit him with his elbow in the stomach, rendering him useless.

"I warned you, idiot" He left him unconscious on the floor as he went back to the farthest sofa to continue reading his book.

"She must've been really strong before absorbing the Dark Core though. Even without his release, not just anyone would be able to cut one of Kento's limbs with that ease" Seku commented, amused.

"That's the Queen of Hueco Mundo for you" She sweetly replied, happy to say such thing, as it reminded her of Ichigo.

"Where is Yama-san?" Mitsuyo inquired.

"He was resting. It seems that he got himself in a pretty tight spot back there in Hueco Mundo" Seku answered. "But, he's got the Heart of Tsukoyomi, so we're half done!"

"It's not like him to fail, so I expected that much" Mitsuyo shrugged. "He didn't say anything about that human city?" He referred to Karakura Town.

"No, it looks like he wants to be in top condition before invading it" Seku replied. "But, it's just so stupid. We could go there ourselves, couldn't we?"

"In fact. We could create the Ouken ourselves and call it a day..." Mitsuyo agreed. "But it doesn't matter. As long as we get our Holy War, I'm fine with it"

True that..." Seku nodded.

Nel made herself comfortable in another sofa, getting entertained by gently passing her fingers through _Gamuza_.

"I'll go get him anyways" Mitsuyo sighed, going to another part of the castle.

He returned a while later, along with Yama.

"...There she is" He pointed at the Arrancar.

Yama grinned evilly as he realized who that was.

"Lady Luck sure has played a part in this one..." He chuckled. "I really thought that if those three somehow managed to defeat Neberu, Ulquiorra would've been chosen by the Dark Core to be its host. However, after taking a look inside that Hollow's mind, I can easily understand why" He remembered Nageki's greatest fear: That said decision could've been a mistake for some reason. And indeed, it turned out to be.

"So, what do you think?" Mitsuyo asked him. "I said I could give her Kurosaki Ichigo. You don't have a problem with that, right?"

"Hm..." He thought for a moment, as Nelliel's apparition had also given him the key to open the Heart of Tsukoyomi. "You know... I figured out what I need to open this damn box, and it turns out that it's merely a huge amount of Hollow Reiatsu" He smiled. "I could just kill her and get this over with but... Argh, I just can't let this chance go!"

"What do you mean?" Ren asked.

"Imagine the face of Ichigo if he was forced to fight his own wife! I tried not to succumb to the temptation but... I simply cannot miss this...!"

"So, we have a deal then?" She offered. "I'll take care of Ichigo"

"Sure, go ahead. If you need anything, just ask"

"Perfect" Dark Nel smirked as her plan worked. Ichigo would be hers and no one else would interfere.

"She seems to still feel something for him, somehow" Mitsuyo clarified. "But with the Dark Core inside her, even something like love can be easily twisted into something macabre"

"That's why I'm not worried" Yama said proudly.

"Well you should be..." Dark Nel thought, plotting a new betrayal. "Yama-san"

"What is it?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you could give me a different outfit. Something more... Provocative, but elegant as well. I wanna look good when facing him"

"Of course, I'll see what can be done" The God agreed.

"Just you wait, my King..." She happily thought. "I'll prove how powerful is our love... Cause I know, that even after the last drop your blood enters my throat, and even after your heart is crushed by my teeth... Your strength, your words and your soul will not leave me. It will all become a part of me, and we'll be together for the rest of eternity... Because our love... Is UNDYING"

* * *

**I hope everything is now clear, since, like every Manga plot, it has some twisted over-the-top explanation behind.**

**As you might think, we're now entering the final Arc, where everything will be decided.**

**I'm really happy to see that this story reached 100 Favorites, though I'm sure it can do better. I don't know... I hope more people find it, like it, and possibly review it. As you should expect, I'll keep up the good work to justify that, of course.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark:_ Hm! I must say that this development was quite unexpected! So am I correct in guessing that the "Old Nel" was basically a false persona meant to believe it was the real Nel? Whilst the "Scar Queen Nel" was the real and true personality the whole time?! Wow! Mind blown here! Windows 10 has stopped responding! Lol._**

**_I can only await what happens next! Please update again soon!_**

**_P.S. Me? Stop reading? AS IF! Thisonly makes things more interesting!_**

**Reply: You're wrong, but you were somewhat close lol. That Windows 10 reaction is just what I wanted actually!**

**I'll keep trying my best to bring the chapters ASAP.**

**P.S. T****hat last part was not meant for you, don't worry. I don't really know you, but I get the feeling you're not the person who would rage-quit. There are other readers who could react negatively towards a dark turn, so I just put that there so that nobody feels like this story is done for in terms of happy endings or something.**

**There is always a way out, remember that.** **We'll see how everything develops next time! Evhron out.**


	37. The Holy Mountain

It was late at night when Kon arrived at an abandoned industrial site in Karakura Town, still looking for the mysterious girl.

"How did she get so far in such a short period of time?" He wondered, exhausted as he had been running and jumping all day.

A dull sound picked his interest, as he thought the place was desolate at first.

He ran towards it without a single moment to waste.

"Finally!" He said, going to the girl who was in the floor, probably due to tripping. "Need some help?"

"Ungh... Why do you insist so much?" She asked back rashly, but her look clearly gave out a feeling of worry and fear.

"Because you're in trouble, and I won't ever leave a girl in peril" He replied in a cool manner as he extended his hand, though it was clearly an act. His words, however, were true. He could be a pervert, but he would never allow a woman to suffer on his watch. "Even if I can't be of much help..."

"*sigh* Kon, wasn't it?" She took his hand and stood up. "Look, I'm glad that you're trying to help, but I really don't want you or anyone to be in danger because of me"

"I thought you'd say something like that, but really, here in Karakura Town, we're more than used to danger, believe me!" He didn't seem to convinced.

"And what do you plan to do?" She asked back.

"Well, I don't know! If you told me what's going on in the first place, I would be able to come up with something" He shrugged, as it was true. "For instance, what's your name?"

She seemed doubtful about involving Kon any more in her issue, but despite that, she knew that it was a too complicated matter to continue alone, so she accepted.

"I'm Nozomi. Kujou Nozomi" She revealed, her purplish-red eyes staring right into Kon's, although that was Ichigo's body.

"Good. So... What's going on here?" He questioned.

"I... I'm escaping" She started. "There's a man who's looking for me, and who's currently taken over Soul Society from the shadows"

"Is it... That man in the yellow jacket?" Kon remembered him.

"Yeah... His name is, Kagerouza Inaba. He used to work in the 12th Division, but that was just a façade. His true objective was gathering data and traces of Reishi from different Shinigami, so that he could later create replicas of them. They are known as... Reigai"

"And you're saying, this guy is currently in control of the Soul Society?" He asked surprised.

"Well, I didn't stay too long to confirm that, but due to the Reigai he created and the way in which he cautiously inserted them into the Seireitei... It is the most likely development"

"What does he want from you...?" That was what puzzled him the most.

"He..." She stammered for a moment, as it was the most complicated part for her to reveal, for both technical and personal reasons.

"There you are!" The voice of the man exclaimed, joyful as he found the girl. "You've given me quite some trouble, Nozomi, but in the end, you cannot escape. It is our destiny! The reason why we were born!" He pointed a silver cane at them.

Kon quickly called Ishida, in an attempt to call for help, but left the call unattended as things got worse really fast.

"No, I won't accept that!" Nozomi ran for her life.

Kagerouza went after her, but Kon stood in the way.

"Hey idiot, quit it! She doesn't wanna go with you!" He jumped as he prepared a punch.

"Get out of my way!" Kagerouza replied as he binded Kon with Bakudou 30: _Shitotsu_ _Sansen_.

"Argh!" Kon was embedded against a wall with the rods of light, feeling helpless as he couldn't escape the spell for as much as he struggled. "Why you...?"

Kagerouza grinned as he already had Nozomi in the palm of his hand. Without wasting another moment, he chased after her, with the Reigai Kira and Nanao by his side.

However, before he could claim victory, another obstacle appeared on his path.

A rain of Quincy arrows pierced the two Reigai, defeating them in an instant.

At the same time, Inaba felt a shiver down his spine as a brutal punch almost destroyed him, just barely dodging it.

"Good work, Kon" Ishida praised. "Thanks to you, now we can stop whoever this guy is"

Chad blocked the path from the other side, ready to deal him multiple other hits of the same magnitude as the last.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

Kagerouza quickly thought about his chances at the monent.

"These people are at another level... What is going on? I had studied Kurosaki Ichigo and the other Ryoka with the data on the Research Department, and I can tell it was way different. They are at a completely new level..."

"Hey, start talking, we don't have all day" Ishida ordered as he pointed his bow.

"Kgh... Dammit!" He quickly opened a Senkaimon and escaped in the last possible moment.

Chad and Ishida were amazed that he could do so in such a carefree manner.

"I never thought someone could do something like that..." Ishida said.

"If I had known, I would've stopped him earlier" Chad added.

Kon fell to the floor as the binding spell disappeared.

"Ow!" He complained as he hit the ground, getting up with Chad's help. "Just _what _is that guy?"

"I don't know... But he seemed to be quite astonished when we arrived" Uryuu replied.

"That's right...! Nozomi!" He called her.

From behind a rusty container, Nozomi shyly approached them.

"Is he... Is he gone?" She asked in fear.

"Yeah, you're safe now" Ishida answered. "But in return, there's some explaining you have to do"

~~~~X~~~~

Kagerouza cursed his luck as he came back to the Seireitei, thinking of a way to get Nozomi back even with the threat those two posed.

Before he could continue digressing over his future plans, however, sounds of growls and footsteps interrupted him.

"What the...?" He stared in disbelief, as hundreds of pale Shinigami with a drowsy yet malicious expression approached him. "What's going on?"

To add up to his current problems, Kagerouza had been in the Human Worlds as the Four Horsemen took over the Seireitei, so he had no idea such a thing had happened.

He ran from the blood-seeking Ghouls, trying to find a place to hide.

For as much as he ran though, despair was all he found. Every possible route he could think of was blocked by the pale skinned Shinigami.

Even above ground, on top of the walls and buildings, Ghoul Lieutenants and Captains were watching over, so trying to use that way was simply out of the question.

As he ran into a mob of the evil beings, bathed in cold sweat, a prideful voice spoke:

"Oh my... This has been a dangerous night walk" The man said calmly yet scornfully, as if it was something trivial.

"W-Who's there?" Kagerouza asked.

"No need to fear, Inaba-san. I'm here to protect you" The mysterious man replied. "You see, I'm actually aware of the plan you designed and carried out, and in spite of your failure due to this unpredictable development, I think you can be quite of great use to me"

He had a slender body and was wearing fine-looking clothes, different from Shinigami yet way more refined than the usual citizen of the Seireitei. He had to be a noble.

His green eyes lazily gazed upon the horde of Ghouls that were upon them as he smirked.

"This might seem like a time of crisis... But don't you worry, I know how to use moments like these in my favour" The man chuckled, showing how his arm had been previously wounded. "Sip from the four seas, the heavenly shores entwine. Equally duplicate ten thousands, and sharpen...

..._Enrakyouten__"_

~~~~X~~~~

Meanwhile, in an underground establishment, Three Captains and two Lieutenants evaluated the situation.

"...As I was saying, this alleged Demon's ability seems to be able to easily possess the bodies of those with weaker Reiatsu. We could call ourselves lucky that Inaba had taken over when all of this happened. Thanks to this, only these fake officers have been controlled by this power" Mayuri explained.

"You're wrong about one thing" Another individual joined them. "It is not a Demon. It is a Fallen Angel, just like me" Arikado refuted, his long blood red hair covering one of his blue eyes.

"I didn't give you permission to enter here, OR to correct me!" Mayuri protested.

"I don't need _your_ authorization for anything. The only one I have to answer to is Kurosaki Ichigo, the man who spared my life" Arikado simply replied. "More importantly, I can tell you about the enemy we're facing, if you believe me, that is"

"On other times, I would've been more sceptical. However... With things as they are, we have no choice but to believe in you" The Captain Commander declared.

"First of all, is there any way to turn the other Shinigami back to normal?" Unohana inquired.

"Yes, and it's pretty simple. We must either force Seku to deactivate the spell, or kill him" Arikado answered. "For that, we must get to their base..." He looked at a monitor. "We must reach that Castle in the Sky"

"What other things do you know about these enemies?" Chojiro wanted to know more.

"They are known as "The Four Horsemen". Four Fallen Angels with a tremendous power and even more fearsome abilities. Seku, Plague. Mitsuyo, Famine. Kento, War and... Ren, Death"

"Wait..." Yamamoto stopped him. "Is by any chance that Ren...?"

"Yes" Arikado nodded. "As you might be thinking, he is also the most dangerous of the four, as he's the only one who wields a Kamibuki instead of a Tenshibuki, given to him after obtaining the title of God of Death"

"So not only are we facing the King of Hell and a group of monstrously powerful Fallen Angels..." Unohana noted. "...But the legendary Ren, 'The First Shinigami'. This might be the greatest crisis in Soul Society's history..."

"So that was not merely a legend... How fascinating..." Mayuri daydreamed. "Nemu, take note of that. I'd be more than ecstatic to study such a unique specimen"

"Yes, Mayuri-sama"

"Indeed. As much as I hate to admit it... We need help" Yamamoto concluded, omitting Kurotsuchi's interference. "Do you have any way of contacting the others?"

"Not at the moment. But everything's already set" Mayuri replied. "Once they arrive, we'll reach the surface and fight. For what I researched, Inaba was unable to create copies of any Vizard, probably due to his lack of data on the field of Hollows"

"So at least we have a numerical superiority over the Ghoul officers" Chojiro deduced.

"But then, who will take care of the Four Horsemen?" Unohana wondered.

"That is a matter I leave to you..." Yamamoto stated. "Cause I will go straight for the head"

~~~~X~~~~

Urahara and Nageki were in the latter's lab, investigating the mysterious girl the Shinigami had found with Shinji. She was asleep in a capsule that was as comfortable as a bed.

"Taking into account everything Ulquiorra said... It is possible that this girl is the true body Neberu was supposed to have" Urahara said.

"If that's the case, we could be witnessing a being of a godly potential at this very moment" Nageki added.

"Y... Yo..."

"She... She's waking up!" Nageki went to check on her.

"Careful, she could have a disastrous response if you scare her or make her feel threatened" Urahara warned.

"Right... Err... Hi?" Nageki smiled as he waved his hand, trying to appear friendly in the girl's eyes.

"Mii?" She made a sound of confusion as she stared at him with big eyes of honey irises.

"Let me try" Urahara approached her as well. "Ehto... What's your name?"

"Mii?" The same response.

"I... I am" He didn't give up, slowly trying to communicate, accompanying his words with gestures. "...Urahara Kisuke. Now, you... Are...?"

"Yo...mi" She slowly replied. "I... Am... Yomi"

"No way... She learned!" Nageki was astonished.

"It's just like Ulquiorra said. The incomplete Neberu was a genius, right? So it's only natural that the true being is equally as smart, if not smarter"

"But... If she doesn't have the Dark Core, then there's no reason why she...!"

"Exactly. She is not evil" He smiled, already grasping the possibilities. "As long as she's raised correctly, we have an incredibly capable ally in progress..."

"Mii?" She looked at him more carefully. "Mii!" She giggled, as she seemed to like him.

"You're scary, Urahara-san..." Nageki commented, as he would never be able to be liked while saying something so selfish.

"I could say the same about you, Nakagawa-san... I heard you are able to alter the atoms of the world around you"

"Well, yes, it is one of my feats" He admitted. "But I wasn't talking about abilities, but about how cunning you are"

"Ouch" He pretended to be hurt by the comment. "Ahahahaha, don't worry, some say that about me quite often, so I'm not bothered. In fact, I think it's true, but in my selfish way of seeing the World... I try to do my best"

"Yeah... I know what you mean" Nageki could relate.

"Mii... Mean..." She repeated, learning a new world.

"We need someone to take care of her while we find a way to get Nel-chan back" Urahara proposed.

"Hm... Maybe Pesche and Dondochakka would be willing to do it. I don't know if it works that way... But it might be good for them to improve their mood after those awful news"

"I'll go look for them, so use this time for brainstorming and we'll go from there"

"Right. Thanks for your cooperation!" He bowed.

"No need to be so formal. We are both scientists, aren't we?" Urahara chuckled. "Well, see you later"

Nageki sighed as he was immersed in thought, analyzing every possibility that could develop into a plausible solution.

~~~~X~~~~

Harribel was leading the training of the Espada and the Tres Bestias.

"...And remember, your strength will become Ashido-san's strength as well, so you must give it your all"

"Harribel" Ulquiorra called her.

"Oh, Ulquiorra!" She was stopped for a moment. "What happened to... Nel-sama?"

The rest also lowered their rythm, trying to catch the conversation.

"It's... Complicated. But she's alive" He sighed. "Though, if you happen to see her in the battlefield, I wouldn't recommend approaching her"

"W-Why...?" She was really puzzled.

"Because, she's not the same person we used to know. A Dark Energy tried to possess her and... As a result, she's now some kind of evil persona. For instance... Did you ever hear about, Scar Queen?"

"Yeah... She told me about it once, but I thought it was just a matter of the past"

"Well, it turns out that a fragment of that being was still inside her, and with the aid of the Negative Energy, it took over her being"

"You... You must be lying...!" She clenched her fists.

"Think whatever you want... I'm not trying to pull something out here"

"Hey, Tier, is this dumbass bothering you?" Grimmjow went with her, looking at Ulquiorra with pure contempt.

This made them all stop completely, not content with just getting the idea. Whatever was going on, was serious and would explain what had actually happened.

"Look, I'm sorry if the choices I made in the past upset you two, but right now, there's something greater than any of that at stake. Our Queen is now a vicious blood-thirsty Arrancar with a power comparable to Ichigo's. I'm just trying to avoid you a meaningless death" The Primera replied seriously.

"Nelliel is... Back?!" Bryssling muttered to himself, not actually sure of how that made him feel.

"Kgh..." Tier was at the border of tears, but forced herself not to cry. She had to look strong in front of the others.

"So you came to warn us? Is that all?" Grimmjow spat.

"No. I actually came to give you Ichigo's instructions while he's away" He denied.

"Away?" The two inquired.

"There is a chance... We don't know how to reach. But, we believe there might still be a way to get Nelliel back, and for that, Ichigo is the key. However, he's gonna have to unlock a new level of power in order for her to appear. Those are the conditions Dark Nelliel set, and Ichigo didn't doubt for a moment when he decided that he would do exactly that. He will not even breathe until he fulfills that task, I can assure you that"

"Dark... Nelliel...?" Harribel muttered hopelessly.

"It is the term we decided to give her, as she's a different being from both _our_ Nelliel and Scar Queen. But... Don't let that distract you from our current goal. We must stop Yama and the Four Horsemen, that's our role, and I believe it's pretty clear what we must do. Leave Nelliel to Ichigo, he'll know what to do, and despite her being this Dark-self... In her own twisted way... She loves him" He wanted her to snap. "I know I'm being harsh, but as Primera Espada, it is my duty to make sure that Ichigo's orders are fulfilled, and right now, he needs YOU to be in charge, at least until he returns"

"Like you said, you're Primera! Why don't you do it, yourself?" Grimmjow just wanted to bother him.

"Please... You know I'm not fit for actual leadership. All I can do is make other people fear me, but Harribel is different. She was the previous Queen and she's actually liked by the other Arrancar. That's why Ichigo chose her and not me, Grimmjow" Ulquiorra clarifed.

"Tch..." Grimmjow had to admit that was the case.

"I understand..." Harribel accepted in the end. "I'll do it, but if he fails to bring Nel-sama back to us... I will relinquish my position as Espada"

"Do as you wish. He'd rather be dead than let that happen anyways" He noted. "I'll go see how Orihime is doing, good luck" He left.

"*sigh* It looks like things can't get more complicated at this moment" Harribel facepalmed. "I know that Ichigo thought I'd be the best option, and under other circumstances, I would've agreed without further thought but..."

"Nelliel's betrayal is too-"

"Don't you dare say it was betrayal!" Harribel became pissed in an instant, making a scene that didn't pass inadvertently.

"Damn... I'm... Sorry..." Grimmjow said, shocked to see her that way. "I should... I should've picked a better..."

"Yes, you should have" Harribel agreed, not backing down. "She was- She IS my best friend, Grimmjow. I won't accept you or anyone saying something like that. She hated that more than anyone else... She would never betray us! She would... Never...!" Tears started appearing on her eyes.

"Harribel-sama..." The Tres Bestias were at a loss of words, but decided to approach her, trying to comfort their master.

The always calm and level-headed Harribel was completely devastated. She simply couldn't believe that what Ulquiorra was saying was the truth. The sweet Nel who always supported her with everything and made her best to cheer her up... Was apparently corrupted by some Dark force she couldn't completely understand, probably in an irreversible way.

She had done her best trying to withstand it all, but she simply couldn't anymore, not after hearing that word.

"Tier..." Grimmjow looked at her, not sure about trying to comfort her as he still felt that her sudden breakdown was his fault, but in reality, all he did was trigger it by accident. She just couldn't pretend that it didn't affect her so much anymore.

"How in the world did this happen...?" She muttered sadly as salty tears fell down her cheeks.

The trio of Fracciones hugged her.

"I'm sorry, Harribel-sama..." Apacci told her.

"But, there's no need for you to worry" Mila Rose added.

"If there's anyone able to save her, it's Ichigo-sama" Sung-Sun completed.

"That's true... But still... The thought of losing her forever is...!" She closed her eyes and washed the tears away, escaping her Fracciones embrace. "I... I need some time. Don't worry about me... You'll do well on your own, I'm sure..."

Everyone looked at her worried as she left. It was a strange situation if they thought about it. In theory, they had won. They had fulfilled their objective. They had gone to Hell and back and yet... The only thing they could grasp was that of a great loss.

"Now, you heard her" Grimmjow took the position. "There's no time to worry about stuff you cannot change. Like that Shinigami said, all we can do is get as strong as possible in order to win it all in this last stand. As some of you might suspect, Ichigo is not here. He is far away... And to any of you who might think he's lamenting or blaming himself for what happened (cause I know you heard), let me tell you... You're completely fucking wrong. Right now, he abandoned this whole area so that he could train to the fullest without doing us any harm, since no one knows what kind of power will he attain when he goes to the next level... So don't you dare give up! At least for us... Times have always been rough. It's only thanks to Tier and Ichigo that we had this illusion of safety, but if you think carefully, nothing has changed. It's true, I'm not the most friendly or the most ethical Hollow around to be telling you this. I was eating others only a while before all this shit started, but I've been willing to change ever since Ichigo taught me what true strength is like and, more importantly, where does it come from..." He concluded.

"I have to agree with you, Grimmjow" Ashido supported him. "I despised Hollows for way longer than anyone here... And seeing myself as not only one of them but an Espada at that... I have to admit how wrong I was..."

"Ashido..." The Tres Bestias muttered, moved by his words.

"But even so, I can't pretend to escape this conflict out of self-hatred or guilt when there's people who are sacrificing it all. To do so would be a fallacy when I regonize the error of my own ways! And I too, am to be held accountable..."

"Aren't we all?" Bryssling wondered. "I lived my whole life like a Hollow was supposed to. Ruthlessly hunting and scavenging my own brothers in order to reach for greater heights in terms of power and respect... And look where it got me. All my life I was nothing but a grunt for others to use and abuse. I could never truly create something on my own, and now... I should be more than happy to know that Nelliel is back to her old ways, or possibly even more brutal but... That didn't happen. After seeing her and Ichigo... It's all just so confusing and... Now it's honestly, sad thinking that something like this could happen"

"Aum. Nelliel-san was always there for everyone. It was strange seeing a Hollow act that way at first, but now, surrounded by more who think and act the same way... I think I've finally found peace. Even under my special conditions... I can smile knowing that there's people I can rely in"

"That's right, Satya-kun. If it wasn't for everyone's efforts, _this_ would not exist. I can finally feel that everyone in the Espada are not only my allies, but my friends as well!" Lilynette smiled. "In order to protect that... Starrk and I'll do whatever it takes!"

"Well done, Grimmjow" Gin clapped his hands. "It looks like you do have a bit of a King in you, or at least enough to bring everyone's spirits up" He clarified. "To tell the truth, I don't care what happens to this place or the Soul Society, I just... Don't. But as bleak as that may sound, I still have something to protect, and Nelliel is someone who made me understand that better than anyone else. Just for that single reason... I'll go to the same lengths as you all"

"In that case, let's not waste another second. Someone tell Ulquiorra to bring his and his girlfriend's ass back here, cause we're gonna need an unspeakable amount of healing if we wanna get results in these whatever hours or, hopefully, days remain"

"We'll do it" Loly said and Menoly nodded, wanting to get stronger as well. "Princess is the only one capable of that"

"So with all that said and done... Everyone..." Grimmjow grinned as he went into _Segunda Etapa_. "Come at me like there's no tomorrow!"

~~~~X~~~~

Ichigo stood astonished in front of the mountain he'd been guided to, finally understanding what his Zanpakutou's spirit meant when he said he was already seeing it, reaching the final destination of his odyssey to the west.

A colossal mountain, probably 20 kilometers tall, stood in all its might and glory. Restless sandstorms raging through its desert-like terrain, replaced in the tallest parts by hail and snow.

As the original Hollow, the only thing one could conquer aside from oneself, was nature itself. That was the lesson Mugetsu learned once, and the same he was going to teach Ichigo, as the next heir to Tsukoyomi's powers.

"So... Here we find ourselves again" Mugetsu sighed in Ichigo's mind.

"I've never been here before" Ichigo refuted.

"I wasn't talking about you" He chuckled. "I referred to me... And to Tsukoyomi"

"Then... Is it time for me to finally see the sealed power of this Zanpakutou?" Ichigo inquired.

"Correct. If only you had seen yourself in a mirror back then..." Mugetsu remembered the _Final Getsuga Tenshou. _"You would probably be shocked... But anyways, it will be an interesting encounter. However, you must first conquer the Holy Mountain. Only at its top, must you face the original spirit that gave power to Las Noches, a fragment of Tsukoyomi himself"

"I understand..." Ichigo accepted, entering the dangerous sands of the Holy Mountain.

He didn't care what was in his way, he would do it. He would do that and everything else it took to get Nel back. He felt like he could die trying, and then continue in his next life as if nothing had changed. Not even death would rip him away from the memories of his love. He would become Death itself to make sure of that.

Using both his Shinigami and his Hollow powers, he battled against the very weather that stroke him in his path towards the top.

Sometimes, blinded by the sand. Others, torn asunder and dashed against the rocks, forcing his body to regenerate before his very life came to an end.

Not even being in his _Resurrección_ made his path easier. Each of the natural disasters that he had to face in his voyage was possibly as strong as the abilities of an Arrancar's Final Weapon or even a Majin's most powerful attack in some cases.

As soon as he escaped the last sandstorm, he entered the frozen chills of the highest portion of the mountain. Hail was as dangerous as a barrage of Quincy arrows, his Hierro barely withstanding the wounds it created as he forced his organism to heal the bruised skin.

Conquering the mountain, in essence, was conquering himself. His own power and body had to be completely under his control in order to reach the summit, in spite of the various adversities the Holy Mountain presented one after the other.

"Gha!" He yelled as he was thrown away by an icy wind as strong as one of Ulquiorra's tornadoes when he used _Chauve-Souris._

"C'mon Kingy, you're not even halfway there" Mugetsu wanted to provoke him. "Get yourself together. Otherwise, you'll never-"

"Shut up" Ichigo ordered as he carved Zangetsu in the hard snow, not letting the wind push him away any further. "There's no need for you to mention it. I said I'd... No... I SWORE I WOULD SAVE HER!"

With a superior strength as before, Ichigo continued through the snow storm, advancing further through the path towards his true power.

~~~~X~~~~

After an exhausting yet very exhilarating training day, Grimmjow went back to his palace.

It was the usual thing for the Espada, but something was still bothering him.

"Maybe... I should go see how she's doing" He thought about Tier. "I wouldn't normally get worried over an Arrancar, much less 'bout an Espada but... I know how she is. This time it was more for her to handle and... It was my fault"

He took a detour and decided to check up on his friend.

As expected of him, his manners weren't so that he would knock on a door before entering.

"Hey, Tier... Y'know I... Still have the feelin' that it was kind of my fault that-" He casually barged in, though he was way more nervous than he actually showed.

He stopped right on his tracks as he stared at Harribel in shock, widening his lightblue eyes.

Harribel was hugging one of her uniforms as she stared back at him, probably even more shocked than he was, blushing more and more as every second went through.

"Is... Everything... Okay...?" He started sweating and instinctively looked away.

"Ghrrrr" She left the uniform on top of her bed and pointed her blade at him. "GRRRIIIMJOWWW!!!"

Countless stabs came his way with a strength and speed that matched Nel's _Campeador_, Grimmjow barely able to dodge them as he tried his best to survive.

The last stab cut a bit of his right cheek, embedding Harribel's sword on the wall just by his face, as her emerald eyes burned with rage.

"Never! You should NEVER enter a lady's room without asking!" She spouted, her fist punching the wall on the opposite side of where her blade was, enclosing Grimmjow.

"Sorry! I didn't see anything alrite? Chill, woman..." He tried to excuse himself.

"Chill? Are you kidding me?! Oh no... You won't be leaving here alive, I'll tell you that" Her Reiatsu rose to dangerous levels.

"*gulp* Look, I don't care what you were doing! Maybe it's normal for girls to seek comfort in their clothes... Hell if I know! I just came to apologize about earlier, if I wanted you to kill me there are countless other ways I could've gotten that, but really, I'm trying to be a nice guy for once!"

"Nice guy, huh?" She repeated, calming a bit. "*sigh* Now it's not... A good moment. I appreciate that you tried to make me feel better but... There are some basic manners you cannot ignore around a lady..." Such manner of speaking was clearly a part of Nelliel's teachings.

"Isn't that something... Nelliel would've said?" He could tell.

Harribel carved her blade out and turned her back on him as she went back into her room.

"Yes... Nel-sama taught me basically all it means to be a lady... Despite her not knowing everything perfectly. But regardless of that detail, I owe her that and a lot more..." She stared at the uniform on top of the bed.

"Wait... Don't tell me that...!"

"Whatever... You already saw" She sat in the bed with a loud sigh. "She asked me to lend her one of these... And I happened to find it when I was going to have my own cleaned" She explained. "However... I thought it'd be nice to leave it as it was, cause I didn't know if I'd ever get the chance to see her again wearing that so... I decided to keep it as some kind of souvenir. It even has her scent embedded on it..."

"Um... I... I see" Grimmjow chuckled nervously as he didn't know how to reply.

"You think I'm weird, don't you?" She asked back, closing her eyes in disappointment. "It's to be expected, after all, it's what a regular stalker would do. But thanks to that... At least I have something to remember her in case we... Never see each other again" She sadly concluded.

"Tier..." He decided to hug her from the back, out of pure impulse, caressing her hair as he put his other hand on her shoulder. "I can't tell you everything's gonna be fine... Cause I have no idea. But I can tell you, that whatever happens, the ideals she stood for and everything you learned from her will always be a part of ya"

"That's... True" She agreed, blushing again, as she didn't expect him to react that way, but she couldn't deny that it was a pretty enjoyable moment.

"And you're not alone. Those three girls are always there to back you up and... I'd dare say that I'm here to help as well" He scratched the back of his head. "I can't pretend I'm too good with feelings and stuff, but at the very least, I'll always be willing to raise my claws and fists for you"

"It's so you to say something of that kind..." She smiled behind her mask. "Thanks, Grimmjow. And... Sorry for acting that way back in the desert. I was just... Surpassed by those bad news. It never even crossed my mind that such a thing could happen. Like... I knew she could die, for example. It would've been really hard to accept that, but... It's a possibility that actually existed. On the other hand, this is just... Some kind of horrible nightmare. Something so dreadful yet so... Unreal"

"I know what you mean, and I have yet to completely get it myself..." His hand gently advanced from her shoulder to her arm, rubbing it gently. "But, look at the bright side. At least y'took out your frustration on me and not on someone you actually cared-"

Harribel suddenly pinned him to the bed, one of her hands on the wall and the other one on his chest, forcing him into submission.

"I care about you, Grimmjow" She said with a hurt tone, a tear falling on top of his face. "I really do"

"Tier... I never-"

"You're not the only one with trouble expressing his feelings. All my life... I suppressed my emotions to become a model soldier. No more, no more... Will I make the same mistake"

The next instant, the Hollow Mask that always covered her mouth was opened, revealing her dark lips while still being on her base form, for the first time.

Grimmjow was unable to emmit another sound as she sank into his lips, making sure that every breath was poured into that action, so that no matter what the result was, she would have no regrets.

His eyes glowed as he still tried to comprehend how he had gotten himself in that situation. Only moments before, she was ready to obliterate him without further thought. Now, he was tasting the blonde's tongue after it had been forcefully inserted in his mouth.

Despite the unpredictable development, his instincts easily guided him into accepting the Arrancar's feelings.

As Harribel let go of him, panting, she couldn't help but become red, only realizing in that moment the rash way in which she confessed her love.

"I-I'm sorry I... I don't know how I could-" She was about to leave the position, but he stopped her.

"Tch... It's too damn late to act like that" He grabbed her by the chin. "You're strong, Tier, and you seize what you want with your own hands. If there's a woman I can gladly accept as my Queen, that can be no other but you"

"Grimmjow" She sighed in relief, kissing him again, biting his lips in between, just like Nel had told her.

These two were way too wilder in comparison to the previous couples, roughly pulling and scratching the other. It was some kind of rough foreplay that resembled more a fight than a romantic encounter.

Even so, the two gladly continued the ritual of love, accepting the other's most primal nature in a totally consensual way.

As Grimmjow licked her neck, Harribel panted out of lust, only for her to feel a sudden urge to slap him, disgusted by his bestial behaviour.

"Heheheh... You're gonna have to do better than that if you wanna stop me. In fact, I think the only way now is completely knocking me out!" He spat as he strongly kissed her again, pulling her hair in a painful yet arousing way.

Harribel carved her nails onto his toned back, sweating bullets as she headed into a dead end she knew, neither would be able to escape.

As soon as Grimmjow started pulling her white pants down, his eyes stared right at the void under her stomach.

"Now that's something I haven't seen in a while..." He chuckled.

"A while...? When did you...?"

"Back when you made me totally nuts, Tier" He confessed. "That time when you reached _Etapa Final__"_

"Oh, really...?" She blushed a bit, and then she smiled. "I was also a bit impressed by you at that moment... So how about you make me go nuts _this_ time?"

Grimmjow bit her ear as he passed his fingers through her belly and chest, tearing away the mask pieces that covered her nipples and going straight for them.

"~Ah~" She moaned. "N-Not... There...!"

"That only makes me wanna do it more!" He growled, sucking on the red pieces of flesh, that only got erect with his frenzy stimulation.

His hands reached for her lower part as he continued shamelessly playing with her breasts, pulling the rest of her pants down with a single kick, ripping them in two.

"Nrgh..." She didn't seem to like that detail, but decided to get her payback in the best way possible at the moment. "Two can play at this game!"

The woman ripped his jacket out and pulled down his pants, her mate fighting back just to give her a harder time.

"I'll make you regret that..." He grinned, roughly forcing his way inside her as she was in misionary style.

"Ahh... Ohhh, FUCK... Grimmm...! Jowww...!" She moaned as her eyes became teary in a mixed feeling of pain and pleasure.

She reached for his head, pulling his long hair to get a better grip, and pulling him into a wet kiss of both saliva and blood.

"~Mmhh~ Ah... C'mon Grimmjow, give me more!"

"As you wish... Tier" He accepted, forcing her to get down on all fours to continue.

He superficially scratched her back from her shoulders and down as he prepared her for the true moment.

Reaching her ass, he started pounding her dark skin relentlessly, giving her a twisted expression of madness, drunk by the rough love he gave her.

Harribel could now surely say she loved him. Cause even after her complicated way of mating, he knew what she really wanted and wasn't scared of delivering it.

"Grimm...jow...! Hit me...!" She drooled as she requested.

"Fuck...!" The other Espada panted. "Who would've thought you were this kinky..."

He started slapping her, guided by the sounds of the louder moans she gave him, indicating if she was ready for more or if he had to slow down a little bit.

He might've been a beast, but he still loved her. She wasn't only a gorgeous exotic beauty, but also a proud and skilled warrior as well. He wanted his woman to be as happy as possible, so even while driven by lust and desire, he didn't lose the true motive behind this carnal act.

"Now... Grimmjow... Please..." Her tone became way softer, shifting from a horny animal into a delicate teen girl.

Grimmjow knew what that meant.

He pulled her by her chest, closer to him, and kissed her as he massaged her breasts more softly.

"I... Love you... Grimmjow... I really love you!"

"And I...!" He panted in her ear, biting it playfully again. "I fucking love you, Tier!"

"Ahhh!!!" She howled with pleasure as she heard just what she wanted to hear.

The two Espada went into a kissing frenzy afterwards, their saliva mixing to a point in which it was a completely shared fluid.

Harribel bit his shoulders and chest as she embraced him, her pointy shark-like teeth leaving marks he joyfully received.

They rolled around the bed multiple times, playing, fighting, but on top of it all, loving, to their heart's content.

All the suppressed emotions. All the feelings they couldn't explain. They all became part of the sublime experience that was becoming a Whole.

Even in the rough moments, be it Harribel jumping on top of him as she carved her teeth on to him; or Grimmjow slapping her tits as he slowly choked her, the two kept smiling, happily rejoicing in their brutal form of love.

Entwining their mouths together one last time, the two moaned as they stared into each other's eyes, their bodies coming at the same time, sealing the pact that would unite their souls for the rest of their lives

"Grimm...jow...!" She moaned his name as the saliva left a string between the two.

"Oh Tier..." He embraced her, feeling her sweet scent invade his nostrils, doping him into a lovedrunk state.

Like the feline he was, he licked Harribel's face as he purred, slowly separating their bodies to finally get some rest.

"I..." She murmured.

"What is it?" He asked, eager to find what the answer was.

"I see it now... And it's just like she said" Harribel put her hand in his Hollow Hole, seeing the golden-yellow trident marked on top. "It's beautiful, Grimmjow"

He understood what that meant, so he also decided to look at the space in her lower body.

A pair of blue knuckles with sharp needles surrounded Harribel's Hollow Hole, making the symbol of infinity.

Only in that moment could he truly ascertain what had just happened. They were no longer mere Hollows. They achieved the state of Wholes, and not even trying, they had finally gotten one of the keys to obtain the greater power they needed so much.

"Does this mean... We are now... Together?" Grimmjow asked, a bit nervous.

"I... I think so" She also shyly replied. "Is that... Okay...? With you?"

He didn't have to think another moment as he easily smiled at her and said:

"Okay? It's the best freaking thing that could ever happen to me" He kissed her again.

"Grimmjow..." She entangled her fingers with his as he put his arms around her, falling asleep as one.

* * *

**Sorry for the wait, but I was camping with my family and it's pretty hard to write with so many distractions and tasks at hand.**

**I'll get to work immediately with the other one, so that we can proceed as swiftly as possible through this last Arc.**

**My only note on this Chapter is that we finally see Harribel's and Grimmjow's union becoming a reality, and to anyone who feels that this is somehow rushed, you should go way back and see all the things that happened in order to get here. The rest is just due to the fact that for the first time, we see two pure Hollows from birth releasing their most savage nature in terms of romance. **

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Excellent chapter! Loved this! Hm! So that's the story of how Dark Nelliel was in a way "buried" and the dormant "cheerful" Nelliel became the dominating personality! Fascinating. And now, she's also on Yama's side, whilst also planning to betray them! Still though...Yama is no fool from what I've read about him, so it's possible that Dark Nelliel's future betrayal may become clear to him soon enough. Regardless, I look forward to more!_****_Good to also see Ichigo's convictions haven't changed and he's more pumped to get Nel back than ever before! Good on him._**

**_Personally, I had thought he'd be more... "moody/depressed" than he was in this chapter due to losing someone so close to him. Still, like they say, as long as there's hope, there's still a way to see things through!_**

**_P.S. My, my! Urahara...you sly fox! Liked how he used his Reiatsu Concealing Cloak and (most likely) his Squad 2 Training to get that info he needed!_**

**Reply: More than being no fool, Yama is ready to take the risk with such a big prize at hand, and he already did the math. With or without betrayal, he has ways to get quite some benefit out of this.**

**At first, I thought of giving him a more 'Emo' way of looking at things, returning to the good old Teen angst fanfic readers love, but at this point, that simply would've made no sense. Sure, it was a terrible truth to uncover, but Ichigo in general is more the kind to fight for something for as long as there's a little glimpse of hope.**

**See you all next time! Evhron out.**

**P.S: Harribel's teeth are pretty much like the ones from the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist in Naruto, in case you have trouble imagining it.**

**R.I.P. Diego Farias. Djent won't be the same without you :'(**


	38. The Man With No Face

Seven days into his journey, the Hollow King was reaching the final quarter of the mountain, though from that point on, was a deadly climbing section with ice peaks and frozen rocks.

One might think that it would make sense just to sky walk under those conditions instead of literally barely hanging to life, but Ichigo knew that it was all part of the challenge, as well as that the wind and the snow might have prevented him of doing so anyways. Mugetsu had done so before him, and he would not doubt his word. Due to this, however, his journey had taken a lot longer than he would've wanted.

It was undeniable that he had become a lot stronger as a result, but the moment of truth was yet to come.

Before entering the most difficult part of the odyssey, Ichigo had found a cave in the snow. The cold was unbearable, but he had no choice. All he could do was replenish his Reiatsu to come back to the action afterwards.

Panting heavily inside the cave, his limbs shivering because of the low temperature, he found solace in the thought of getting his love back as he made his way into the deepest part of the cave.

Once on that spot, he created a blue flame with his Reiatsu to recover heat, leaning by the side of it.

For a couple seconds, staring into the fire, he closed his eyes, seeing her face in a restless sleep.

"My love... If only you'd return, so that I may gaze upon your eyes one last time..." He heard inside his mind as he saw her getting farther and farther from his point of view. "One, last, time..."

Awakening in cold sweat from that bitter dream, he realized that he had already got his normal body temperature back, probably due to both the heat and the frenzied sleep.

He snapped his fingers to make the flame disappear and returned into the cold, not resting for a single moment as his journey continued.

"Nel..." He muttered once again, trying to grasp the strength needed to scale the summit.

~~~~X~~~~

Coming out of a _Garganta_, the whole team of Arrancar and Urahara entered the Training Grounds under the candy shop.

The strong amount of Reiatsu left the Captains and Lieutenants quite amused to say the least, though only the first ones were there to receive them, along with the Vizards. Most of the latter group were still training in hopes of defending their home, lead by Rukia and Renji, with some exceptions that stayed with their Captain during the encounter.

Toushirou quickly recognized Harribel, easily remembering how much of a pain she'd been to fight.

He had gone through extensive training after said encounter, but even then, his longer and wilder hair meant nothing in comparison to the actual years Harribel had been training in the Dangai.

"I'm glad they're on our side this time..." He thought with a sigh of relief.

Three Captains approached the group of Arrancar earlier than anyone else.

Zaraki, Kuchiki and Kyouraku.

"Looks like you've been putting up some effort, eh? How about a little warmup? We still got a day" Kenpachi invited.

"If you wanna spar a bit, it's fine by me" Grimmjow grinned with the same animal instinct. "I saw what you did to Nnoitra, and I must say I'm impressed. However... The level of that idiot is now history compared to the actual strength of the Espada!"

"Interesting! I'd like you to show me that first-handedly!" Zaraki licked his lips.

"Zaraki, not now" Shunsui ordered.

"Same for you, Grimmjow" Harribel did the same.

"Tch... Fine" The two beasts groaned in unison.

"I can't really say it is a pleasure working with the ones who were our enemies so recently. Are you sure you're not just trying to find an opportunity to release Aizen from his prison?" Byakuya inquired, still distrustful of the Hollows.

"Aizen is no longer welcome in Hueco Mundo" Harribel shook her head.

"He betrayed us and, even worse, he failed" Ulquiorra added, showing his disappointment.

"Urahara, would you please tell me the whereabouts of Kurosaki Ichigo?" Shunsui requested.

"Sure. Like you would expect, he's still training in Hueco Mundo. But don't worry, he'll arrive just in time, like always"

"We've only got a day left and you still allowed such thing? This is not a game!" Soi-Fon reprimanded Urahara.

"Calm down, Soi-Fon" Yoruichi told her. "Or are you telling me that you're unable to fight if Ichigo doesn't come?"

"Yoruichi-sama, that's not what I...!"

"Please, Captain Soi-Fon" Shunsui politely asked her to back down. "In that case, we'll proceed as planned, just not having him in mind"

"What is that plan?" Nageki asked him.

"I don't know if you were informed of this, but the Seireitei had already been taken over by another force before this all started. As informed by the Ryoka, Ishida Uryuu and Yasutora Sado, the Reigai faction, lead by Inaba Kagerouza, from the 12th Division, is the one responsible for the past events in the Soul Society" Shunsui explained. "We don't know much about him particularly, but there's clearly more behind him that what we currently know. In spite of this, whoever this enemy truly is, it's not the same as the one we're facing right now, but we received information that it's no longer a problem by itself..."

After he said that, Arikado appeared from behind the other Captains.

"Oh, Arikado-san, long time no see!"

"Hi, Urahara-san" He nodded. "Kurotsuchi sent me here through an improvised Senkaimon, so I was able to arrive undetected, or so I want to believe. The fact of the matter is that our current adversary is controlling not only Soul Society as a place, but as a military force as well. Seku, the Four Horsemen's Plague, is able to infect others with a purple haze that turns people into Ghouls at his service. We don't have to worry about another of these attacks, as he can only do it once in a month or so, due to its broad range and terrible consequences. Still, this means that..."

"All of the Shinigami in Soul Society are currently 'Ghouls' as you said" Urahara deduced.

"With the exception of the Lieutenants: Nemu and Chojiro; and the Captains: Unohana, Kurotsuchi and Yamamoto" Arikado clarified. "Also, the previous enemy seems to have created copies of the Captains and Lieutenants that used the Dangai in the past month, following Kurotsuchi's theory. There could even be a risk that there's a copy of you, Urahara-san, though the exceptions are me and the Vizards, due to our different kind of Reiatsu"

"So... Those copies are now..." Ashido joined the discussion.

"Precisely" Byakuya nodded. "They are Ghouls under the orders of the Four Horsemen"

"I see" Urahara nodded, thinking about their possibilities. "Then I believe, everyone will be facing their Reigai counterparts, which by the way, what are they in essence?"

"Kurotsuchi believes their true identity has to do with that artifact known as Mod Soul" Arikado said.

"Our intel also confirms this" Shunsui agreed.

"Where did Ishida-kun and Sado-kun get this information?" Urahara inquired.

"That would be me" A girl with green hair in a cream colored cardigan and red skirt said. "I'm Kujou Nozomi and... I know the truth behind Inaba Kagerouza"

"We were waiting for you to arrive in order to hear the full story, Kisuke" Shinji noted.

"Oh, is that so? My, that makes me feel important" The shop owner chuckled.

"Go ahead, Nozomi-chan" Shunsui told her.

"I... I am a Mod-Soul, no... I am the first Mod-Soul, created in a laboratory several year ago, during Project Spearhead.

Despite being the first, the truth is that the _me_ that truly has that title no longer exists. My creator, Yushima Ouko, designed a Mod-Soul that could receive his own consciousness, as well as a body of greater capabilities, as he had always been lacking in terms of strength.

However, his plans were rushed when Project Spearhead was cancelled by Central 46, so the body he had designed was incomplete, and as expected... Unstable.

That gave origin to two new entities. Me, and the other one involved, Kagerouza. While I merely have a portion of the original Mod-Soul's strength and Ouko's personality... Kagerouza seems to have retained Ouko's desire for revenge against the Soul Society for denying him his invention, his greatest pride...

Inaba had managed to infiltrate the Court Guard Squads, while I was locked away in a secret lab. Once he woke me up, I pretended to be collaborative with his plan, but as soon as I got the chance, I escaped into the Human World, trying to find a shrine that could seal me away forever, but he came after me sooner than I expected. If it wasn't for Kon and his friends... I would've been caught by Kagerouza and most probably... Merged back into Ouko's body and consciousness"

"So we are dealing with none other than the head of Project Spearhead and the creator of Mod-Souls... Interesting" Urahara admitted.

"But as we said earlier, that no longer seems to be the problem" Shunsui reminded. "We'll only deal with Kagerouza after we stop the Four Horsemen and the King of Jigoku"

"The good thing that he couldn't create Reigai from any of us" Kensei said, referring to the Vizards. "That means, we can go directly to fight the Four Horsemen"

"And that's where we enter, am I correct?" Harribel deduced.

"Exactly, Miss... Harribel, right?" Shunsui wanted to make sure. "You used to be the Queen of Hueco Mundo, if my data is correct"

"Yes, though not really in an official way" She nodded. "Anyway, this means that our group and the Vizards will go against the real enemy while you create an opening"

"Yes" Rose agreed. "Though for that, could you please give us more information, Arikado-san?"

"Of course" The Fallen Angel nodded. "The weakest in terms of raw power is Seku, the one behind the Shinigami Ghouls. It would be best to send the 'weakest' team against him, so that the others can fight the truly difficult enemies. Don't be fooled though, none of the four are easy adversaries. They all have a power comparable to the Princes of Hell, and have various tricks up their sleeve"

"In any case, I think I already know who I'll send against that one" Harribel looked at them. "Ashido, Lilynette, Bryssling and Satya. Can I count on you?"

"Sure!" Lilynette smiled.

"Aum" Satya nodded.

"On it!" Bryssling roared.

"Always, Harribel-san" Ashido politely accepted.

"What about us?" The Tres Bestias wondered.

"You and those two will support the Shinigami on the ground. Please, be very careful, as the Ghouls are still alive, so killing them is the last resort" Harribel warned, especially referring to Loly and Menoly. "I don't want to give a bad impression, not when we have the chance to start a better relationship with the Soul Society"

"We understand" The three accepted, the other Fracciones nodding.

"Sure... Whatever" Loly agreed, though not really convinced about the pacific approach of her mission.

"Loly...!" Menoly reprimanded her for the obtuse answer.

"I'm glad to hear that" Juushirou smiled. "If possible, I'd also be willing to support a peaceful relationship between the two Worlds"

"Though Central 46 must be open to that..." Shunsui clarified.

"Continuing with the specifications" Arikado went back to the main topic. "The next one is Mitsuyo. He represents Famine, and as this implies, his abilities are able to drain all kinds of energy, be it Reiryoku, Reishi or Reiatsu, making him a formidable opponent. Physical attacks would be the most effective by far"

"Wait... I'm pretty sure Yama's Kamibuki has the same abilities" Ulquiorra pounted out.

"They are similar, in a way" Nageki nodded. "However, there is a major difference between the two. Mitsuyo can only absorb that energy to either power up his own weapons and attacks, or heal himself. Yama, on the other end, is able to freely manipulate the energy he absorbs. That's what puts them at completely different levels"

"If that's the case..." Harribel started. "The most indicated ones would probably be the Vizards, cause our powers rely too much on energy" She referred to Grimmjow and her. "Oh, but... Kitsune-san can help"

An Arrancar in a long white tunic with a hood nodded. It was wearing a traditional Japanese fox mask, hence they called it Kitsune.

Of course, behind this simple but very effective disguise was none other than Gin, who wanted to avoid conflict in general, but especially with Rangiku and Kira.

"The next one is a bit problematic. Kento, Horseman of War, is a musclehead, but as a fighter, he's both skilled and smart. His special ability is channeling his Reiatsu through the giant claymore, War. That allows him to create explosions, waves of Reiatsu, fire, and other phenomena of that kind" Arikado informed.

"I think I'll be facing that one" Grimmjow seemed eager. "Nothing like fighting a fellow beast of battle like myself"

"In that case, I'll go with you to back you up" Harribel stated.

"There's no use in arguing... So I might as well just accept the fact that I won't be fighting alone" He shrugged.

"And finally... We have Ren. Honestly, I don't know much of his abilities as he rarely fights. He's more the kind to only act when strictly necessary, and even then, he mainly uses basic combat abilities in those situations. However, the other three are nowhere near him. He even wields a Kamibuki, instead of a Tenshibuki. While I've never seen him use it differently from a melee weapon, its hidden powers must be extremely dangerous"

"In that case it's pretty much settled" Urahara said. "You said Captain Unohana was there, right? I bet she and Kurotsuchi-san can take care of him if they get serious, same with Lieutenant Sasakibe, so it's not something impossible. I can imagine that the Captain Commander will most likely engage in combat with Yama himself..."

"That's correct. Yamamoto-san said that he would go for Sorayama" Arikado communicated. "Actually, I was thinking about joining him"

"I..." Nageki built up courage to declare his decision. "I also want to fight Yama. I still have some unfinished business with him and... I believe I have what it takes to be of help"

"Sure... Though I haven't told Yamamoto-san, and Kurotsuchi said he's rather proud, so he might decline our request to fight alongside him"

"Don't worry. Yama-jii might be stubborn, but he's no fool, and this is certainly an enemy that surpasses the idea of 'strong' any of us have" Shunsui told them. "He'll probably tell you not to get in his way, but that shiuld be it"

"With all that said then... It seems everything is ready" Harribel commented.

"Not so fast" A young man refuted.

Uryuu and Chad entered the Training Grounds alongside Isshin, Tessai and Kon.

"Oh, would you look at that. It's a rare sight to behold" Shunsui chuckled due to the strange mix.

"Inoue!" Chad noticed her and went straight to see her, worried about how she had been all this time.

Uryuu followed him, wanting to see his friend as well.

As he walked to her, he finished adding the missing information.

"I believe you're forgetting Karakura Town" He corrected Harribel. "But it doesn't matter, we're gonna take care of that, and Kurosaki-san and Tessai-san said they'd do the same"

"I see..." Harribel nodded.

"That leaves it all clear" Shunsui concluded, humming carelessly as he gave a look at the group of Ryoka.

"Sado-kun! It's been a while hasn't it?" She happily asked, still not aware of her recent change.

"I-Inoue... You...!" Chad was speechless.

"What's wrong Cha-" Ishida's voice also disappeared as soon as he noticed the little white horns in her head, as well as the Hollow Hole in her upper chest. "What in the world...?"

Ulquiorra looked away as he knew that'd be matter that brought up conflict.

Renji and Rukia noticed something was wrong and decided to come see cor themselves.

"What's the problem, Ishida-san?" Rukia asked, but clearly saw what had happened.

The Captains were also in shock.

"That girl... Was a Human, right?" Komamura recalled.

Yoruichi smirked as she tasted the chaos created by said situation, which she already knew about.

"No use in hiding it anymore, Orihime" She told the girl.

Orihime only then realized the commotion caused by her decision.

"Oh... Yes, I... I became an Arrancar a couple days ago..." She confessed. "It's nothing to worry about though, I chose this on my own!"

Ulquiorra decided to stand beside her and whispered: "Careful, don't mention Ichigo in this"

She blinked twice to agree to that without the rest noticing.

"But... Inoue-chan... How can a Human...?" Shunsui wondered.

"Easy" Urahara was the one to speak. "She was Hollowfied and then broke her mask"

"So that means... That a Human can be Hollowfied just like a Soul?" Juushirou asked, even more astonished.

"It's possible thanks to the artifact Yama stole a while ago" Urahara helped her. "It seems to have the capability to Hollowfy other beings and turn them into Arrancar, even skipping the necessary steps for said evolution" He fabricated an explanation to calm everyone a bit.

"I find hard to believe that such a powerful artifact exists and we only find out about it now..." Soi-Fon pointed out dangerously.

"But then again... It is Hueco Mundo we're talking about. Not even Hollows and Arrancar know much about its history" Shinji refuted, helping Kisuke.

"It is something we're gonna have to look into after we save the Seireitei... IF we save it..." He chuckled nervously.

"As long as you get up with that lazy ass of yours, you shouldn't be worrying" Lisa said.

"Yadomaru-san..." Nanao was surprised to hear her predecessor talking to Kyoraku.

"Heh, figured you'd say something like that, Lisa-chan" Shunsui chuckled. "Now if you'll excuse me, there's something else that caught my eye..."

He went straight to the greenish blonde haired Arrancar of young yet developed figure.

"I don't know why... But I get the feeling we've met before, young lady..." Shunsui told Lilynette, with clear seductive intent.

The girl clenched her fist and bit her lip as she forced herself not to blast him away with a barrage of _Cero_.

"I... I don't think that's the case" She coldly replied.

"Hm?" Ukitake also noticed her. "Kyouraku... I think you should stay away from her"

"Why? Is there any problem?" He wondered, surprised by his life brother's behaviour.

"If I'm not mistaken... She was that little girl I fought back there in Karakura Town... You know... The one that was with that Espada you..."

"No way... Are you telling me you were _that_ girl?! Wow, you sure have come a long way... I'd even consider asking you out if it wasn't for the fact that we're in serious trouble" He chuckled, but that only pissed her off more.

"Don't you try to make fun of me!" She spat as her identity was uncovered. "You two are the ones who killed Starrk, I'd never forget that... Even if we were enemies then, I simply can't forgive the ones who erased him! You're lucky that his consciousness still resides within my Zanpakutou... Otherwise I'd be more than willing to destroy you"

"Oh, I'm... Sorry to hear that" Shunsui sighed. "But at least, I want to ensure that we can fight as allies"

"Be content with that, cause that's all we'll ever be" She looked at them with disgust and literally turned her back on them as she walked away.

"Geez... I've been having a serious hard luck with ladies lately" Kyouraku looked at Lisa as well. "Well, it's not like I don't deserve it. Pleasing a woman is never easy, anyway"

"You never change do you?" Ukitake smiled at him, but then felt a bit faint. "Ungh... Looks like I'm gonna have to return to those hot springs another while... My body can't take much more"

"Captain Ukitake!" Kiyone and Sentarou left the training behind and immediately went to his aid.

"Don't worry, Captain, we'll make sure you are in perfect condition for tomorrow!" Sentarou said, helping him from the right side.

"Hang in there, you can do it, Captain!" Kiyone did the same from the left side.

"Oh, thank you, guys. I'm sorry that my body's always so weak..."

The three left the group slowly towards the Hot Springs, so Ukitake could rest and recover.

Lilynette grinded her teeth after the bitter encounter with Starrk's killers.

"Aum... Lily-nee, are you alright?" Satya was worried about her.

"Y-Yeah... More or less..." She corrected herself. "I know it's not really their fault. None of them had actual killing intent when they fought, not the Captains... Nor did Starrk. Hell... Back then I was probably the most aggressive, but even knowing that... It's hard to look them in the eyes and pretend nothing has happened"

"Aum... Is there something you wanna do to forget that for a while?" He inquired. "Inoue-san said that this world had lots of things to do and especially, eat"

"Um... Maybe we could get something sweet" She proposed. "Let's see if she can take us somewhere, Satya-kun"

"Aum" He nodded, smiling a bit.

The Ryoka and Orihime were still putting up to date, everyone completely amused to hear that she had become an Arrancar to be with Ulquiorra, and that they had become Wholes nonetheless.

"I... I really don't know what to say" Renji chuckled nervously.

"Yeah..." Rukia pressed her lips, unable to say anything either.

"I... Well... Congratulations" Uryuu told her, not really understanding but seeing how happy that idea made her.

Chad, on the other hand, didn't mutter a word as he walked to Ulquiorra and grabbed hum by the collar of his jacket.

"I'm not gonna deny Orihime's wishes. If she wants to be with you, that's fine... But if you ever hurt her...!"

"I know" Ulquiorra calmly accepted the threat. "Though you're not the only one interested in killing me if that's the case. Ichigo is first in line"

"Sado-kun..." Orihime was surprised to see him react so protectively.

The Fullbringer let go of the Espada and stayed by Ishida's side.

Another reunion took place right after, since Isshin had also a lot to talk with his past subordinates.

Rangiku had left training as soon as she felt his Reiatsu, and Toushirou was only waiting for him to make the first move.

Isshin put his hand on the young Captain's shoulder as he saluted him.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Captain Hitsugaya?" He chuckled.

"Captain Shiba..." He muttered. "I was rather surprised to find out you were actually Ichigo's father... But now it's no wonder where does his strength come from"

"Nah, I'm just Kurosaki Isshin these days. You're not gonna ask me about why I left Soul Society in such a rush?" Isshin wondered, surprised to see him so calm.

"I figured that you had your reasons... But unfortunately for you, not everyone is as cool-headed as I am..." The Captain replied as Rangiku went towards them with unpredictable intentions.

"Captain Shiba...!"

"Oh, Matsumoto!" He saluted her in a friendly way. "I see you're smoking hot, like always! I'm sorry to inform you that Ichigo is already engaged though, and my heart will always belong to a single woman-"

Rangiku grinded her teeth with rage as she heard that nonsense after all those years.

"What have you been doing all this time?! Was it so hard to say anything once? Like... We were regulars at your house and you're gonna pretend not recognizing our Reiatsu?!"

"I just thought... It was best disappearing completely. It would mean a lot less trouble for you all, and even if you got to hate me, well... It's a minimum price I'd be paying for my choices" Isshin replied. "And anyways... Toushirou became a formidable Captain, just like I trained him to be"

"But... Even if that's true... You never even told us why you left" Rangiku complained.

"Well, that's quite easy to reply" He shrugged with a sigh. "I fell in love. As simple as that"

"But..." Rangiku wanted to refute, but honestly, there was nothing she could say. "Argh! Why are you like this, Captain Shiba! And you're not gonna say anything Captain?!" She asked Toushirou.

"He had his reasons and taught us everything we had to know before leaving. I can't complain" Toushirou answered, not caring so much about it.

"Good to see that you understand. As expected from the man I chose to become Captain" He proudly concluded.

"Except for the fact that he isn't a man..." Rangiku pouted to herself.

"I heard that, Matsumoto" Toushirou said with tedium.

Isshin laughed as he enjoyed the reunion with his previous officers.

From the distance, Gin saw how Rangiku, despite still being somewhat upset with her previous Captain, was enjoying herself, making him smile behind the Kitsune mask.

"At least... You look happy" He murmured to himself.

~~~~X~~~~

"Ahahahahahahahahaha!" Yomi giggled as she ran through the sandy plains of Las Noches.

"Wait, Yomi-chan, you shouldn't be running alone through the palace! You're gonna get lost!" Pesche yelled as he ran behind her.

"Relax, Pesche, it is like playing Eternal Tag!" Dondochakka laughed.

"Yeah... Just like we used to do with... Nel-sama..." His mood dropped quickly.

Yomi looked behind her, noticing how Pesche had stopped running.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to-" Dondochakka apologized.

"I know. It's equally as hard for you" Pesche sighed.

"Pesche...?" She realized something was wrong.

"Sorry, Yomi-chan... I just, remembered something sad... You know what that is?"

"Mii?" She tilted her head obliviously.

"Heh, what am I doing, you're just a little girl... Even if you're a Demon with potential godly powers..." He pat her head.

"Mii!" She hugged him.

"Aww... She's trying to console you" Dondochakka was moved.

"Looks like the Boss and Nageki-san were right..." Pesche smiled behind his mask. "This girl is a genius"

"No doubt. So little and so sensible..." Dondochakka agreed.

"Mii..." Yomi purred in Pesche's embrace.

"Maybe... Just like a monstrous abherration could give birth to Yomi-chan... At the end of this torture, there's also a hint of light" Pesche hoped.

"There must be..." Dondochakka nodded. "And if by any chance, there isn't, Ichigo-sama will make that light"

~~~~X~~~~

Shinji approached Nageki and Urahara, who were already discussing something.

"Yo, Kisuke, and... Nageki, right? Captain Hirako here" He casually saluted. "I just wanted to ask you guys a thing..."

"If it's about Nelliel... Go ahead" Nageki knew it had to be that.

"I'll keep it short and simple" Shinji grinned. "Is she alive?"

"Yes" The two scientists replied in unison.

"That's all I need to hear" He chuckled. "Asking for more would be a waste of time. Whatever the situation is, if the girl still exists, Ichigo's gonna find a way to get her. After all... He risked himself and much more for people he barely knew in the past... I can only imagine the mess he's gonna make this time"

"You look quite optimistic" Nageki noted, surprised.

"Me? Optimistic? That's a good one, hahaha" He laughed. "Quite on the contrary, I'm a stoic and realistic man. What I just said is a fact. Whatever that King of Hell did, he messed with Ichigo's pride, and that's something he won't come unscathed from"

"I think so too" Urahara agreed. "There are only a handful of people Ichigo cared about that he couldn't save..."

An image of Masaki quickly went through his mind, followed by the fading memory of a girl with a distinctive red ribbon.

"...He has never forgotten, and he will never forget. If the same happened to the love of his life... Who knows what kind of apocalyptic development would we witness?"

"Well... Ichigo's predecessor, the first Hollow and King of Hueco Mundo, Mugetsu, experienced that" Nageki revealed.

"And what happened?" Shinji asked, very curious.

"A dark eternal night swallowed a whole army of Angels and Demons" Nageki said, the images imprinted on his brain, impossible to forget. "The only reason those four are alive, is because they had already left the battlefield. Same with Yama..." He referred to their current enemies.

"Are you saying that the reason why Hollows still exist today is because..." Urahara deduced.

"Yes. Mugetsu didn't leave them other choice. His power, without any restraints... Is that of Tsukoyomi himself" Nageki could see the form his friend had taken back then.

Black hair. Red eyes...

"So no matter what the cost... We must make sure that Nel-san is not killed, is that correct?" Shinji inquired.

"Precisely, Hirako-san" Nageki nodded. "Otherwise... We'll all be in great danger. Well, that's considering he gets to _Etapa Final_. But, even if he doesn't, just a frenzy release of power in _Segunda Etapa _would be enough to obliterate a great part of Soul Society in a flash"

Kon was with Nozomi, asking her more about Mod-Souls.

"So... Are there any others like us?"

"Like, original Mod-Souls?" She asked back.

"Yeah, not like those clones"

"Well, Kagerouza aside, none" Nozomi replied. "But maybe, that's for the better. After all, Ouko had a deep grudge on Soul Society, so if he had created another Mod-Soul, it could've been another vengeful one"

"I see..." Kon seemed a bit disappointed. "But, I guess having you is more than enough"

"W-What do you mean?" She blushed a bit.

"I'm just... Glad that the other Mod-Soul I've ever met in my life is none other than a nice girl like you. It's true that I don't know you much, but now that you opened up to us, you are really nice person, Nozomi"

She stared into his eyes for a moment, only to cross her arms later and spit:

"Dosukebe!"

Kon just sighed as he shook his head.

"Yeah... I know. Actually, now that you remind me, I should go and molest Rukia-chan like I usually do" He teased in a way that Nozomi didn't know if it was a joke or an actual declaration.

"What?" She just stayed there confused as Kon went with the others.

On another note, Love went to Komamura to ask hin about his past division.

"So... Captain Komamura, right? How is the 7th Division coming along?"

"You are... Aikawa Rabu, right? Former Captain" The Werewolf recognized him.

"Most call me Love, but yes. I see you're well informed, in any case"

"I was just curious about who was the officer in charge before I came along. It seems that the 7th Division had the Captain position vacant for a while, though the Lieutenant in action did a pretty good job apparently"

"As expected of Jin'emon... I hope he's alright" Love thought about his previous partner.

"I can't say for sure due to these conditions, though his son is here with us, since he's the 3rd Seat of the 13th Division, under Captain Ukitake"

"Oh, interesting..."

They chatted for another while, just like everyone else. At least in the case of Kira, Momo and Shuuhei, they were glad to see their Captains return safely from their battle in Jigoku.

The rest of the day went by in a relatively free manner, and the Captains didn't put any pressure on their subordinates given the nature of the next day.

There was no place for mistakes. The Soul Society, Hueco Mundo and Karakura Town were all at stake.

~~~~X~~~~

Reaching the end, Ichigo made his way through an avalanche by blasting black and red, and black and white _Ceros_ from his horns and mouth, respectively, while still using his two swords to not be thrown away by the storm.

Black clouds with silver linings spat wind, lightning and hail like there was no end, but Ichigo would not give up. Such thought didn't cross his mind for even a second.

Using _Velocidad_ while cloaking himself in black, red and white Reiatsu, he dashed onto the menacing clouds, dividing the skies above him.

Stepping into the summit of the Holy Mountain, above multiple beds of clouds, he could finally enjoy a moment of glorious peace. All that was in sight was the pure dark night that always covered Hueco Mundo, the moon smiling to him as in all its glory, and as close as it could ever be.

"You did it, my King" Mugetsu told him, proud.

"It was hard... Probably the most demanding training I've ever done... But I bet that, without it, I would stand no chance against what's to come, right?"

"That's right, cause now, you must fight the dormant part of Las Noches. Its true spirit... Tsukoyomi himself"

Ichigo took a deep breath, and then exhaled, relaxing his mind and body for a moment.

"Are you ready? Or would you rather-"

"If there was time... I'd have no problem in resting for a little bit" Ichigo interrupted. "But I can't have her waiting any longer, can I?"

"That's only for you to decide" Mugetsu assured. "What comes now is not nearly easy, Ichigo"

"I know... But I don't care" He dismissed. "If I don't have the strength to save her, then I might as well die here on this mountain"

"Very well then..." Mugetsu accepted. "Go back to your base form, and wield your Hollow Zanpakutou, pointing towards the moon"

"Okay"

Ichigo did as Mugetsu told him, not feeling anything special.

Moments later however, he realized that whatever was occurring, wasn't affecting his white Zanpakutou, but the moon in front of him.

"Mugetsu... Is the moon, disappearing?" He wondered.

"Indeed. The only time there's been a New Moon in Hueco Mundo was when this ritual was carried out the last time, when Las Noches was still in my hands"

A couple seconds later, the whole moon had disappeared, leaving Hueco Mundo in absolute darkness, aside from the light of torches and luminous crystals that the inhabitants of Las Noches used.

Despite the darkness, he could still see clearly. After all, what son of the night would he be if his eyes weren't able to see under those conditions?

The clouds that surrounded the lower part of the top of the mountain started dispersing, ceasing every storm and wind that originated the unbearable weather of the Holy Mountain.

"Here he comes..." Mugetsu whispered.

"I can tell..." Ichigo could also feel it.

From the same spot as the one from where the moon once stood, a skeletal figure came flying towards him.

"Is that... Tsukoyomi?" Ichigo asked.

"A fragment of him" Mugetsu replied. "His bestial form, a Dragon made of bones and darkness. His breath is poisonous, he can spit burning flames and paralyzing lightnings, and create freezing winds by hitting the air with his skeletal wings"

Ichigo focused his look on the timeless beast that went his way, and ready to break its bones until it was nothing but dust, he entered _Resurrección._

With a loud confusing roar, the winged beast charged against him, spitting black fire without a rest.

Ichigo could feel the scorching heat of the flames as he dodged the attack, countering with a _Gran Rey Cero: Medianoche._

The Dragon seemed to take damage, but not nearly the amount to be defeated, though it was just enough to enrage it.

"Just like I thought... This is gonna be one heck of a fight"

The Dragon blasted black lightnings, which were way faster than its flames.

Ichigo used his black Zanpakutou to withstand the thunderbolts, raising his Reiatsu to cancel out a bit of the attack's strength.

"_Getsuga Tenshou!" _He attacked in reply, damaging one of the Dragon's wings.

The beast would not give up, however, so it agitated its wings towards him to throw him a barrage of black ice shards that came with a powerful gust of wind that threatened to send him flying.

Rolling the Zanpakutou, he destroyed the ice shards, but as soon as that was over, the dragon was right in front of him.

With a furious slash of both claws, almost imitating his _Getsuga Juujishou_, Ichigo was thrown into the iced earth of the mountain, spitting and coughing blood as his body quickly regenerated, just like he had done in his odyssey a while before

"Grrr..." He growled, getting up and putting the two blades in their sheath. _"Muerte Negra"_ The black Reiatsu Scythe appeared on his hands, ready to slash everything that stood in his way to nothing.

The beast clashed with him multiple times, cuts appearing on Ichigo's white skin and broken bones flying out of the dragon's body.

"For fuck's sake... I don't have time for this!" Ichigo spat, viciously cutting the creature with his Reiatsu Scythe.

The dragon howled in pain and anger as it was teared into pieces.

After all the hardships he had to face, after all the lessons he had learned, fighting the dragon in with 100% of his power was not an impossible challenge anymore.

Victory seemed closer as he heard the final screams of the beast, which was spitting a black fog of poisonous miasma as its life was coming closer to the end.

"Tch... You are nothing!" Ichigo spat as he sliced the dragon in two. "I accepted my life as a Hollow... I accepted my role as King of Hueco Mundo, and now... I accepted this cursed fate!" He yelled as he grasped his empty Hollow Hole, devoid of the Reiatsu of his beloved Nelliel. "I accepted every aspect of this life, both the beautiful... And the fucking awful ones too... You are nothing I can't beat after experiencing all that! After tasting the most complete happiness... Only to be thrown into the lion fence, surrounded by agony and despair! Denied of the one thing that gave meaning to my life as a Hollow!"

The bones of the dragon shattered as he released an even greater Spiritual Pressure with his words.

Standing atop the Holy Mountain, Ichigo dissolved the black Reiatsu Scythe.

However, the challenge was not over yet.

The darkness that filled that monster's bones started gathering, slowly growing into a mass he clearly recognized as a humanoid body.

As if the night itself became part of it, it started gaining a strength far greater than that of the dragon he had just defeated, to the point in which he stopped even sensing that power.

In that moment, he remembered Aizen's words when he fought against him in the final battle, encountering a power that was so far beyond his own that it became impossible for him to feel it.

"Is it possible that this... Is the power of a God?!" Ichigo couldn't help but wonder as the being started gaining form.

A tattered black cloak of Reiatsu covered his lower part, while his torso seemed to have an armor of black skulls and Reiatsu that went up to his nose. His two arms were made put of pure black Reiatsu, one of them holding a blade he somehow recognized.

His face, not entirely seen due to the armor, kinda resembled his own, but his blood red irises differed greatly from his yellow ones, as well as his long pitch black hair.

As his red eyes stared into his, his manly voice resonated as it spoke:

"At last we meet. Mugetsu has told me about you..." He said.

"Are you..." Ichigo muttered. "Tsukoyomi?"

"God of the Night, and father of all Hollows. That's me" He replied positively.

"And now... I must... Defeat you...?" He didn't seem so sure.

"Hmph, you've come so far and you're still gonna doubt?" Tsukoyomi mocked. "Wether you live or die... That's for you to decide"

Ichigo smiled as he heard that, in some way, feeling full of determination despite the impossible task that seemed to be brought upon him. No... That wasn't truly the case, and he knew it.

Even with all the things that happened, in the end, everything had been his choice. Saying otherwise would have been spurious at its very best.

The truth to the matter, with no masks, no games... Was that he'd brought this upon himself. If he had wished so, even his transformation into an Arrancar would have been transient.

He had chosen to walk to tread his swollen path, where the fissures and his sorrow healed, before his Holy Mount.

In the beginning, his choice had been done by a single glimpse of hope that wasn't even a reality in strict terms. Yet, all he could do at the moment was accept the fact of the matter and start the journey.

In a way, said choice was a device to help him keep his sanity. A complicated way to distract himself from the crude reality that appeared before him in the blink of an eye.

"*sigh* It wasn't so clear at the start that this would all be transient, but I got lost along the way... Blinded by the illusion of safety and the inescapable physical pain.

See, the intention was for healing, but what I found was not the same, for this path is fraught with anger and the way is fraught with rage... Beheld towards the ignorant and simple wish to end it all and not decay...

And... I will not assume that my choice was the right one. I won't pretend to be a hero when in fact I left it all behind to save a single person I do not know I'll be able to save... And that's why, I never pretended to be someone I'm not. I accepted a position, yet I never became someone different from who I already am.

And I refuse to be a martyr! And I refuse to be a saint! And I refuse to be a perfect God who can live without mistake!"

"Looks like this test has opened your eyes quite a bit, hasn't it?" Tsukoyomi recognized. "But so they say... This is what happens in the mountains"

"I have come so far from home only to find I must return..." He thought about Karakura Town. "And I'm sorry... I'm sorry, everyone, but I would sacrifice myself and the whole world just to see her face again"

Now, truly accepting all he was and had become, an explosion of black and red Reiatsu released the form sealed deep into his soul.

The ragged black tunic of his previous transformation now gained a pair of black draconic wings, as well as his hands and feet became even more bestial, having claws like the ones in his Vasto Lorde form, with black claw-like nails.

His torso was now covered by an armor of white skulls, reminiscent of Nel's _Segunda Etapa_, while his legs retained the black tunic.

His head, was now entirely covered by a white dragon's skull, while his eyes were yellow with red scleras. His long orange hair grew a bit more, reaching Tsukoyomi's length.

"I see... This is my _Segunda Etapa..._" Ichigo muttered as he looked at his new form. "I'm not sure wether I want Nel to see me like this... But then again, something tells me that her new self is gonna like it"

"You've released the power of the beast you defeated. Now, it is a part of you as well" Tsukoyomi clarified. "That's why... Unless you want to leave it to chance, you must face me at least once"

"I understand" Ichigo accepted, grabbing _Zangetsu_ on one hand, and creating a black sword of pure Reiatsu in the other, just like the one of the Final Getsuga Tenshou.

"So you understand..." Mugetsu chuckled inside his head. "The form you took at that time... Was borrowed from Tsukoyomi himself. With... Another addition"

"I know, but that's something I gotta discuss with Tensa Zangetsu, don't I?" Ichigo knew it, since he had fought White Zangetsu last time, different from now.

The God of the night held his sword and pointed it at Ichigo, ready to force the test that stumped them all upon him.

"Come, Kurosaki Ichigo..." Tsukoyomi said, releasing an amount of power the Arrancar couldn't yet understand, but at the very least, could feel.

"My son... Born in the light..."

* * *

**So, here we find ourselves again, getting to the final battle for Ichigo in order to unlock an even greater power. But will he do it? We shall see.**

**On the other end, we have the whole alliance planning to go against the Four Horsemen and Yama in the Ghoul-filled Seireitei, before they decide to strike Karakura Town.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Yahoo! Loved this! It was fantastic! It's about time that Grimmjow and Harribel consummated their union! It had to be the most emotional and loving part in this chapter! It also seems Ichigo has begun his training on conquering the Holy Mountain! Push through Ichigo! Keep to your oath! Like Zangetsu said back then: "You'll age if you pull back, and you'll die if you hesitate." Hm! Also seems Kagerouza didn't plan for the invasion to happen whilst he was searching for Nozomi! Yet it seems someone else sees an opportunity! Namely...Tokinada Tsunayashiro! Fascinating..._**

**_Also, that girl that V was "supposed" to become. Yomi was it? I wonder what role she might play? And what powers she possesses? Not only that, her name is quite similar to Yama's own..._**

**Reply: You pretty much mention everything important correctly, so there isn't much to discuss, honestly, but I'm glad to see you liked it.**

**Yomi is, in a way, an alternate version of Yama, like an altered clone since the way she was created differs greatly from his own. Yomi, itself, is another name for Jigoku, amd aince she's a little girl, there won't be such a great role for her to play in this fic, but we'll see in the future...**

**Thank you all and see ya mext time! Evhron out.**

**P.S: In case I don't upload before the 15th, I wanted to inform you that I'll be going on a trip to Norway and Scotland 'til the first week of March. Due to this, I don't know how often am I gonna be able to either advance or upload new Chapters, but I'll do my best.**

**I'll be in Oslo for a couple days, so if by any chance there's someone who lives there and wants to hang out, drink a beer or somethin' hit me up, lol.**


	39. Kow Otani's Castle In The Sky

The three groups, Shinigami, Vizards and Arrancar, got ready to enter the Senkaimon, calming their minds and bodies in order to face the greatest threat in the history of the Worlds left in the Soul King's hands.

The plan was simple:

1\. The teams that would fight directly with the Four Horsemen were already defined, as well as the people who would go against Yama himself. While no one had pretty clear how that would develop, they decided to believe in their abilities, as well as their partners'.

2\. The rest, would either face their Reigai counterpart or support the ones with that task, as simple as that.

Neither Ulquiorra nor Orihime decided to mention a single word about Nelliel, and thankfully, no one asked anything about it, as they assumed that she would wait for Ichigo to finish training.

"But... Orihime" Ulquiorra said seriously. "What if Dark Nelliel appears in the battlefield?"

"That won't happen. Until Ichigo arrives, she will not hurt anyone..." Orihime denied.

"How can you be so sure?" Ulquiorra asked, as he had seen how different she was. For him, the behaviour of this new enemy was a complete enigma.

"Because, she loves Ichigo..." She trusted that belief. "As dark and wicked as this Nelliel might be... She doesn't want to hurt him, not for naught at least... The only reason she could have to attack anyone would be jealousy, and even then... She knows deep inside, that Ichigo's eyes are only for her" Orihime remembered the way in which he looked at the teal hair Arrancar, completely different from the way he looked at her. "Ulqui-kun..."

"What is it?" He noticed her sudden broken voice.

"I know it's not in our hands... But I really want her back" Orihime cried. "She and Ichigo looked so happy together... And she was such a good friend... I miss her"

"I know..." Ulquiorra embraced her. "I also know that it's not the best time to tell you... But I wanted you to know that I'll be helping Harribel and Grimmjow against the Horseman of War"

"*sigh* I figured you would do something like that..." She smiled sadly. "So all I'm gonna ask you... Is that you MUST return to me alive, okay?"

"I accept the order, Hime-sama" He smiled and kissed her as his hand strongly held her by the waist, not wanting to let go.

"I hope you get along better with those two after fighting together" She wished.

"I'll do my best... But I can't promise anything" He clarified. "Now... What are you gonna do? Will you stay here with your friends? Cause if that's the case, I'd gladly accept"

"About that... I'm sorry, but I won't be able to make you happy on that matter. If my powers were needed and I wasn't there... It would be just as if I killed them with my own hands"

"Orihime..." Ulquiorra caressed her face tenderly. "Just, promise me that you'll do your best to stay safe"

"Yeah! I'll go with Loly and Menoly" She happily replied. "They might not seem like it, but they're actually good friends of mine!"

"Really? Cause they used to despise you the first time I brought you to Hueco Mundo" Ulquiorra recalled.

"Maybe... But that's in the past" She quickly dismissed, not even worrying about it. "But lately, they've been really friendly towards me, so I've got no doubt about it!"

"*sigh* You will never stop to amaze me..." Ulquiorra said with a smile.

"I don't know... It might be like that now that we've been just a while together-"

"No, I can easily tell that Ichigo and the rest of your friends are still amazed by you even after all the things you've been through, so I can say that with certainty"

"Well... As long as it's not a problem for you..."

"And even if it's somehow troublesome... I'll have fun figuring out, don't worry" He gently pressed his forehead against her hers.

Orihime closed her eyes as she kissed him once again, worried that it could be the last one they shared.

The next morning, there was no need for more tribulation. Everything was already planned, and every thought had already been shared. Battle, was all that awaited them in the horizon, as a phantom that could sometimes hide its pressence, yet it never truly faded. Ever since Aizen's schemes began, there had been no rest, for anyone, and for better or worse, this meant a need to get stronger.

The Gotei 13, in particular, was not even a shadow of what it used to be when the Divisions had just been founded in terms of strength. Only a handful of them had what it took to fight against the Fallen Angels and the Old God that was menacing their very existence.

That said, everyone had done their best effort in order to be up to the challenge, and due to mere luck, destiny or chance, they had gotten an opportunity to fight back.

"Kisuke..." Yoruichi muttered, still worried as she would stay in Karakura Town.

"No need for goodbyes. I'll pull it off, somehow. We'll all do..." Urahara assured her. "So you can stop pretending you care"

"That's not-"

Urahara simply gave her a look that made her understand what he truly meant. He knew she cared about him, but now was not the time to be moved by such emotions.

"Right..." She sighed, smiling a bit afterwards.

"We'll take care of everything here, Boss" Tessai said, putting each of his hands on Jinta's and Ururu's head, respectively.

"And so will we" Isshin assured with Uryuu and Chad by his side. "At the very least... We'll be able to buy some time until Ichigo arrives"

Kon and Nozomi also nodded, though it was clear that they didn't represent a real threat to any enemy of the current level.

"You're being quite pessimist by assuming we're gonna need his help, Captain Shiba" Toushirou commented.

"I'd love to say the same..." Kyouraku replied. "But to be realistic, we don't know just what are we gonna find when we get back there. Sure... Arikado-san gave us a preview, but there's no actual way of knowing unless you're there, feeling in the flesh..."

Everyone else stood in silence, agreeing with that thought, though not verbally showing it.

"Let's go" Shinji sighed with bother. "We have no time to waste"

"Yes!" The Lieutenants replied, following the order.

Urahara opened the Senkaimon, and all the teams entered.

Passing through a more shadowy Dangai than usual, they quickly advanced towards the exit. Urahara had already done the calculations so that nothing weird happened. There was nothing to fear on that matter. All that was left, was making up the courage to see and accept the current condition of the Seireitei.

They all passed through the light at the end of the tunnel, some Captains and Lieutenants gulping, while the others merely staring at the scenery ahead.

The structures seemed mostly unscathed, though there was some destruction here and there, possibly to a handful of inhabitants not falling to the Plague, trying to fight or escape the Ghouls that now roamed the citadel.

"This is worse than I imagined..." Nanao gasped.

"Yeah... They don't look really alive to me" Shuhei pointed out, looking at the Ghouls with disgust.

"Hey, don't give me that crap now!" Loly spouted. "I was ordered to back off, so you better do the same"

"Don't get the wrong idea..." Kira started refuting. "We know we must hold back, but it's gonna take a bit of effort, that's all..."

"Anyways, let's start immobilizing them" Menoly said calmly. "Stick with us, Princess, Ulquiorra's gonna kill us otherwise"

The Primera Espada seemed to chuckle a bit as he heard that.

"S-Sure!" Orihime nodded. "If anyone needs extensive healing, bring them to me. With my powers I can reject any damage, no matter how bad... at least before the person has lost too much blood or has already... Died"

"Thank you for your help, Inoue-san" Ukitake told her.

The "calm" ambient (despite the gruesome sight) was broken by a bizarre request.

"Blood..." A rough man's voice said.

They were all stricken with fear as the image appeared in their heads. That was none other than the Ghoul Reigai of Zaraki Kenpachi.

"Ho? Now this got interesting!" Kenpachi grinned as he prepared his nameless Zanpakutou for some action.

"~Hehehe~ Go break all his bones, Ken-chan!" Yachiru said from his shoulder.

"Now that I think about it... Lieutenant Kusajishi's Reigai isn't with him, or to be seen..." Rangiku muttered.

"That's because I'm unique! ~Tee-hee!~" She closed one eye and stuck her tongue out as she made a peace symbol, like an idol or gal would do. "Now, go!"

"You don't need to say it" Kenpachi gladly collided with his Reigai counterpart, sending him away and running towards the location to continue fighting without any disturbance. "Just don't fall off, Yachiru!"

"And... We lost him" Shunsui sighed.

"It was to be expected, anyways" Byakuya noted.

As soon as he said that, he felt a barrage of deadly cherry blossoms going his way.

"Bankai: _Senbonzakura Kageyoshi"_ The head of the Kuchiki family quickly reacted, protecting himself and the others with his own cherry blossoms.

The Ghoul Byakuya didn't mutter any word, but his shadowed expression spoke for itself. He wanted them all dead.

"Everyone, get moving!" Harribel ordered. "We must defeat the one behind the Ghouls and everything will be easier"

"On it!" Lilynette replied, leading her group towards the Castle in the Sky.

"We must do the same, Tier... Ulquiorra..." Grimmjow groaned the Primera's name, but accepted his aid.

"Yes. I'll leave Orihime in their hands" Ulquiorra accepted, going into Etapa Final at once.

"Well, this is goodbye, then" Shinji said. "Do your best, Momo"

"Y-Yes, Captain!" She nodded nervously.

Lisa looked at Shunsui defiantly, and Hiyori did the same with Kisuke as they said in unison:

"Don't fuck it up!"

To which the two simply chuckled.

"Fine..."

Harribel went into _Etapa Final_ and Grimmjow went to _Segunda Etapa_, overwhelming the Shinigami currently at the place, with the exception of Rukia and Renji who had been training with them for a while.

In fact, the two Lieutenants easily made their way through the Ghouls thanks to their superior powers. Those two's Reigai would stand no chance with their outdated sata and specs, that was for sure.

In a moment, other Reigai Captains and Lieutenants appeared before their real versions, attacking together to confuse their rivals.

However, they weren't the only ones able to do cooperative strategies.

Shunsui and Juushirou used a back to back position to nullify any damage they could've taken.

"Just like in the old times..." Kyouraku chuckled.

"Sure thing" Ukitake smiled.

Following that, the two went for their respective Ghoul Reigai.

Toushirou and Byakuya lead their Reigai to a more vast space, so that they could go all out without harming anyone.

Soi-Fon and Komamura decided to move together as they confronted a combinated attack of the Reigai Lieutenants.

"Tch... These small fries think they can handle us?" She mocked.

"We'll show them otherwise!" Komamura said.

The two said as they released Shikai and fought back.

The Lieutenants and the Tres Bestias were all in their strongest forms as they made their way through the Ghouls.

"Urahara-san" Arikado went to him. "Nageki-san and I will go straight for Yama. I don't know if you would like to come as well"

"Hm... Since there is no Reigai of me... I could probably go help against Yama... Or maybe Ren"

"I'd rather have you stay here, Urahara-san" Nageki told him. "After all, there's something I need you to get to Ichigo"

"Oh, so that's why... Sure, no problem!" He agreed, receiving a pill. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Yes. There was no way of testing it on an actual being but, I believe the theory and the practical experiments were good enough. Just tell him to eat it. If things go they way I think... That's all you need to tell him" Nageki said, not wanting to waste any more time giving a more detailed explanation.

"I understand. I'll make sure he gets it" Urahara concluded.

"Let's go, Nageki-san" Arikado rushed him. "It's only a matter of time before he attempts to enter Karakura"

"Yeah, let's go at once" Nageki nodded and flew out of the place with Arikado, towards the Castle in the Sky.

"*sigh* Welp, I was willing to put up a good fight, but since I gotta be ready for the time Ichigo arrives... Guess I'm gonna lay down for a little bit, hehehe"

But just as the Shop owner was boasting his good luck, a single kick sent him flying.

Slamming roughly into a wall, Urahara spat a bit of blood.

"Damn... Looks like I opened my mouth too soon" He raised his head to have a look at the attacker.

"Or maybe, you just wanted me to appear, so you opened your mouth" It was none other, than Reigai Urahara.

"Oh geez... You got me" Kisuke admitted. "And not only that, but I see you're as smart as I am, since you are not a Ghoul like the others"

"Of course not. Actually, I was wondering if you could do me a favour..."

"Oh, and what would that be?" Urahara's eyes became sharp.

"Would you mind disappearing? You see, being a Reigai has quite some limitations, especially in terms of actually having a life, so I wanted to take your place, what do you say?"

"Um... Sorry, but I'm quite happy with the life I have" Kisuke replied. "And, I hate to say something so cliché, but this Universe is way too small for a second Urahara Kisuke to exist"

"Too bad... Guess I'll have to give you the position of fake by force" The Reigai got his Zanpakutou out.

"Hehehe... Why don't you come and try? I'm actually curious about what my clone can do" He said as he broke out of the wall.

"Scream... _Benihime"_ The clone activated his copy Zanpakutou.

Urahara dodged it quickly but calmly, not letting his eyes miss a single movement of his Reigai.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to get serious, as expected of myself..." Urahara pulled his hat down a bit, determined to erase the faker as quickly as possible.

~~~~X~~~~

"So... How do we...?" Ashido was about to ask.

"There will be no need *yawn* for that" A childish voice replied.

It was none other than Seku, who was lazily expecting them with a white sceptre that looked a lot like a wizard's staff.

"Are you...?" Lilynette inquired.

"Seku, the Plague. I'm actually baffled by the fact that our plan failed, and all those Ghouls I obtained are actually copies of the originals... How sad indeed"

"Aum. If you turn everyone back to normal, we can spare you. We heard you're the weakest of the four" Satya calmly negotiated.

"Ahahahahahaha! How stupid!" He laughed. "Being the weakest of the strongest group of Fallen Angels that exists is not a shame at all. It just turns out that my abilities are better designed for tactical conquest instead of actual battle, but that doesn't mean you have any chance of beating me. Being the weakest of the Espada is a completely different matter, so I wouldn't be acting so cocky if I were you"

"You already released your Tenshibuki, there's nothing else you can possibly do!" Lilynette accused.

"Now, you're not being stupid, but simply ignorant. Have you heard of 'Fake Release'?"

"I... I think I have" Ashido said. "It is pretty common that novice Shinigami commit mistakes or don't know the right way to release their Zanpakutou, sometimes getting a different effect or ability from the one their weapon actually has"

"Exactly... But in this case, it is not an error. It is a tool I designed so that my dear **_Nergal_** could have an offensive mode for situations like this"

"Shit... That's clever" Bryssling admitted.

"Thank you! Now that I already unleashed this baby as Plague, by saying 'Infect'... Why don't I show you the other face?" He invited. "Devastate the city of the Gods... _Erra!"_

A tainted white Angelic armour encased his body, leaving only his face uncovered, while three pairs of black wings came out of his back. The staff he carried became a bronze spear with a terribly poisoned tip. Seven amulets of small golden tablets with ancient texts hanged by his neck.

"This guy...!" Lilynette seemed scared as soon as she felt the power emanating from the enemy.

"I think... We might not be up for it..." Bryssling admitted, frowning.

"Aum..." Satya digressed, evaluating if his power would be useful enough. "No choice but to try... Disperse, _Escalofrío!"_

"Decapitate, _Cuernavaca!"_

"Discipline, _Castigador!"_

"Kick about, _Los Lobos..." _Lilynette remembered the moment she accepted the only truth of her being. In the end... She was alone. "_Segunda Etapa!"_

An explosion of black and lightgreen Reiatsu made the Horseman curious as to what he would encounter.

"Wait, wasn't her Reiatsu...?" Ashido wondered, remembering the blue color.

"Blue? Not anymore" Satya refuted. "Lily-nee's Reiatsu used to be blue cause that was borrowed from Starrk... Now that she's trained her own power, a completely different Reiatsu comes to light. That is her true being..." The young-adult Satya said, proudly.

She wore a long black cloak of wild wolf fur, each hair having a lightgreen tip, giving a neat effect; it covered most of Lilynette's chest, though the middle part of her body was still nude, showing her Hollow Hole as well.

Her face, instead of the typical eyepatch, had a piece of black Hollow mask, with the flame mark still surrounding it.

Black skinny pants with green patterns went from her hips to her cowboy style boots, which were a darker shade of black with snake-skin patterns.

In addition to the clothes, physically, she also experienced some changes. Her teeth became as sharp as actual wolf's and her hands and feet grew nails of the same characteristics as said animal. Finally, a gray tail grew out from above her rear.

In her hands, to everyone's surprise, were no longer guns. Instead, she held two blades, both versions of her original Zanpakutou, with black handle and black blade with green edge. One long, and one short, just like the person she hated the most.

"I don't know what kind of silly joke this is... But I don't care. All I know is that in this form... Starrk is gone. I'm all alone" She confessed. "But even if that's the case... All the things he's taught me won't ever fade! And his power and soul are always latent within me!"

"Big talk, for a weakling like you" Seku mocked with a smile, appearing in a second in front of her, ready to poisson her with the deadly venom in his weapon.

"Lilly-nee!" Satya tried to block it in time, but Seku was way too fast.

However, Lilynette easily deviated the spear with the long blade, as she stabbed him with the short one.

"_Colmillo de Lobo__!" _She commanded, making the short blade carve its way into Seku's body, with a powerful green Reiatsu boosting the sharpness of it.

"How...?" Seku was in shock. "How did you see me?"

"I didn't" She coldly muttered. "I just heard you, and... Unfortunately... Smelled you"

Seku pulled the blade out quickly to not feel so much pain and stepped back a bit, not sure how to react.

"You... Bitch!" He spat, like a brat.

"I know" She treated that like an epithet. "Your childish behaviour aside... It's just like I thought. You have no actual experience in combat"

Seku's look seemed to disfigure as he heard the harsh truth.

"It was obvious..." She continued. "Having unimaginably strong allies, you always stayed behind the scenes and used your disgusting Plague to control the weaker links in the enemy lines. I can feel it, you have a great potential, but you've never used it before, so your body cannot nearly fight to its fullest. You're all brains... But nothing else"

"Kghhh..." He made a sound of suppressed rage. "Ahaha... Hahahahahahahahaha!" He laughed madly.

"Did I say something funny?"

"Ah... It's just that, you actually managed to make me worry for a moment, I'm not gonna lie... But those 'dog tricks' won't let you go too far with the power of Pestilence..."

An ominous green and purple smoke started emanating from the spear.

"Tch...!" Lilynette escaped the area, as the gas was clearly a deadly trap.

Stepping back, she regrouped with the other three.

"Lilynette... Sorry for not acting in time" Ashido apologized.

"No, he's just on another league" She confessed. "I didn't tell you guys, but I've had this form for some time now, from the day I realized Starrk was still within me, actually"

"Oh, so that means..." Bryssling deduced.

"Yeah, I'm actually experienced with my _Segunda Etapa_, I just didn't show it" She confessed. "That, along with the fact that he's not used to fighting is the only reason I stood a chance. His Reiatsu is way more monstrous than what he actually shows, though again... It seems that the most dangerous treat about these enemies are their special abilities"

"Do you have anything in mind, Lily-nee?" Satya inquired.

"Yes, and you're the ace under the sleeve, Satya-kun" She replied. "Just one cut... And he'll be immersed in an illusion, even if it's for a moment, right?"

"Y-Yeah... It normally is, but I wouldn't be so sure"

"Then make sure to embed that spooky Reiatsu of yours in the blade, that won't fail" Bryssling said.

"I..."

"You know how to do it, Satya" Ashido agreed. "I saw you the other day. That sticky black fluid that came out of your blade... It was liquid fear, wasn't it?"

"Yes... It was..." He nodded. "But if by any chance I...!"

"Don't worry about us, Satya-kun" Lilynette smiled at him. "We'll make sure to distract him and dissipate that gas for you. You just focus on your power and your task, I know you can do it"

"If you put it like that... Okay, I'm in" He accepted.

~~~~X~~~~

The battle seemed to be completely in favour of the Alliance, quickly knocking out many of the Ghouls and Reigai, all thanks to the aid of the Arrancar and the two Lieutenants with special training.

While surrounded by the defeat of every respective Reigai Lieutenant (along with the total annihilation of Rukia's and Renji's), Kyouraku and Juushirou had their dark clones in a tight spot as well.

"*pant* You two took this way too seriously, eh?" The Reigai Shunsui spat.

"Looks like despite your dreadful condition, you're still able to speak" The real Shunsui remarked.

"Believe it or not... *pant* Our consciousness is pretty clear" The Reigai Ukitake replied. "The only thing is... We simply can't help this desire to kill!"

"What an unpleasant scenario..." The actual Ukitake commented. "Let's just put an end to their misery and get this over with..."

The two were ready to finish it with no further trouble. However, there was one single Ghoul Reigai that could make that all come to nothing...

With a single hand gesture, the Reigai Captains and Lieutenants that had been defeated rose back to life, countering and going back into the battlefield.

"No...!" Shunsui muttered.

"Why did _she_ have to appear...?" Juushirou shared Kyouraku's thoughts.

With a psychotic look and loose hair, completely out of character (or maybe not), Unohana's Reigai joined the battlefield.

"You were having so much fun, and yet no one invited me..." She slashed Shunsui's and Juushirou's Reigai, just to add blood to _Minazuki. _"How awful..." She licked the blood from the Zanpakutou.

"Is that really Captain Unohana's Reigai...?" Rukia couldn't believe it.

"How scary..." Renji trembled.

"Yes" None other than Squad 4's Lieutenant replied. "That is without a doubt her Ghoul Reigai..."

With no time to waste, Shunsui decided to give the order:

"Rukia, Renji... I believe you're strong enough to hold her down for a bit. If the Arrancar help me, I'll be able to come to your aid, but for now, take care of that... Just, make sure you don't die"

Rukia widened her eyes at the seriousness of his tone.

Whatever monster they were about to face was one even one of the strongest Captains feared. The situation was as critical as it could get, but there was no one other than them to confront that nightmare.

"We'll do it. Let's go, Rukia!" Renji took the lead.

"Y-Yeah...!" She nodded, a bit nervous.

"BANKAI!" The two activated their sword's final release.

Every Lieutenant became speechless as they felt the power of the three that were about to fight, realizing that they had a long way to go.

"Now... I don't know what this exactly means, but whatever you are... Just by that look you've got there's no way in Hell I'm letting you loose!" Renji told the Ghoul.

"Is that so...? Then you better make sure to destroy me!" She howled, her mad blue eyes staring at them. "But I'm sorry to say... The only ones that can possibly kill me are either myself, Shigekuni Yamamoto, or..." She thought madly about her favourite. "...That man"

"I don't think we can even compare to that level..." Rukia admitted. "But if by doing that we can save the lives of our comrades, we won't doubt. We'll do everything we possibly can to survive"

"Very well... Just to honour that, instead of killing you right away, I'll slowly fill your hearts with despair. I want to see wether what you say is true or not, and for that..." She laughed madly. "I'll give you the pleasure of fighting the worst criminal in the history of Soul Society! Unohana Yachiru!"

"Unohana...?" Rukia muttered confused.

"Yachiru...?" Renji completed.

~~~~X~~~~

"I can feel in my flesh and bones that you are the tough guy 'round here!" Grimmjow smirked as he found himself face to face with the dark-skinned Fallen Angel of War.

"An Arrancar? Good... I've been wanting to take my frustrations out on one of you for a while now..."

"Let me guess, aside from Yama, you also hold a special grudge against our kind?" Harribel told him.

"Nah, it's nothing so deep as that guy. I'm just angry cause I had some trouble with an Arrancar whore the other day..." He rubbed one of his arms with frustration, showing that something had happened to ot., his Reiatsu rising every second.

"A... Whore...?" Ulquiorra got an idea of what he could be referring to. After all, there was only one female Arrancar strong enough to damage a Horseman.

Harribel's eyes were widened as she understood what that meant as well.

"Nel...sama?!" She muttered to herself.

"Are you by any chance... Referring to the Queen of Hueco Mundo?" Ulquiorra inquired.

"Ho? How did you know? Mitsuyo came across that slut a couple days ago, but I thought no one else knew about it" He foolishly revealed the truth.

"I met her before and figured she was the only one that could've cut your arm off" Ulquiorra gambled.

"Damn you...!" He became enraged only hearing that claim. "How in the FUCK?!"

"Because I noticed that it's not as big as your other arm, and the way you acted before gave out that your problem with her had something to do with that. It was obvious"

"Yeah... That bitch denied me my RIGHT as a superior being to play with her a little. What a filthy-"

"Don't you dare say another word!" Harribel threatened, her rage showing in her face like never before. "You have no right to say anything about her... And insulting her is crossing every god damned line!"

"Hm? What's with you? You still worry about her even after she betrayed you?"

"She never betrayed us! She's not herself... And even then, she's still an important person to me and to us all!"

"Well... Giving you a more careful look... You're just as hot as she is... Actually, even better without those scary eyes that skank has..." Kento chuckled. "Why don't you fool around with me a little bit in her place?"

Harribel was about to attack, but Grimmjow stopped her.

"Oi... If you wanna run your mouth 'bout Hueco Mundo's Queen, I know plenty of people who'll break the shit out of you... So quite honestly, I won't even bother" He started saying. "But... If you dare mess with MY Queen...!" His Reiatsu increased exponentially. "You're fucking dead, you hear me?!"

In a blink, the Espada appeared in front of the Horseman and kicked him in the face with a slash of Reiatsu included, wounding from his chest to his neck.

Kento was surprised to be sent flying. Despite him not releasing his sword, it was very difficult to find a being powerful enough to harm him at all.

"Heh... You got me a bit, but this is not even worthy of being called warmup" Kento spat blood and cleaned his wounded lip with his fist.

"And what about this?" Ulquiorra said from behind as he blasted a _Cero Luna_ from point-blank range.

Kento was just in time to block half of the attack with his claymore, still taking quite some damage, but nothing he couldn't handle.

"These Espada are tougher than I imagined they'd be" He thought, frowning. "Maybe I have no choice but to take things seriously"

Before he could continue thinking, Harribel blasted her combined water attack.

"_Cascada Hirviendo!"_

"Tsk... Whatever, I've got no time for this" The Horseman spouted. "Enlist the soldiers... _**Mars**!"_

~~~~X~~~

"There he is. Yamamoto-san!" Arikado called his attention, though the old man simply flew past him, as if that mere intent of help insulted him. "Heh... As proud as always"

"Hey, don't take this as an insult or something of sorts but... Are you sure you have the strength to fight Yama? After all... You were just a Duke" Nageki told him.

"That is true, but I still have a way to change that" He put his hands in a prayer position, chanting something quickly.

From the Heavens, a shining white yet somehow dark armour descended.

"Is that...?"Nageki was a bout to ask.

"When I became a Fallen Angel, Amaterasu-sama took most of my power away, by my own accord, so that Yama never saw me as an actual threat" He explained. "I requested that said energy was embedded in the armour I used to have as an Angel, and that... If I saw myself in the need to use it, I would pray to Amaterasu-sama and ask her to send it to me"

"So you're saying that-"

"Correct. When I fought Kurosaki Ichigo, I didn't even have half of my true power. Back then, I thought that dying was the right path, actually. I thought that... If Yama was to find out I had been my Godess's spy, he would have become even more vengeful towards her, so I believed that my death would actually give her less trouble... But that didn't happen, did it?"

"No, I guess not. I used to think alike, but only in the fact that I sought death" Nageki confessed. "I had nothing to fight for, but a promise I made millions of years ago... Fulfilling that promise, for me... Marked the end of my life, as simple as that"

"I see..." Arikado understood. "Is that the same idea you withold in this moment, though?"

Nageki smiled a bit as he remembered what Nel had told him before.

_"You're not alone, Nageki. If you still want to die... That's up to you. But you can always count on the fact that we'll be here for you"_

His eyes looked more determined with that memory in his mind.

"At the very least... I'm gonna keep on living until I've fixed my past mistakes" He replied. "And honestly... I'm not doing that to repay a favour, but just because... It's what a friend would do"

"A noble answer. I would enjoy having a cup of tea with you. It's a rare sight... A being with a long enough lifetime to actually share a relatable background, while still keeping his manners. I'd dare say I haven't found that ever since I left Takemagahara"

"Maybe once this is all over..." Nageki agreed, digressing wether they would survive.

Arikado wore his armor, extending his black feathered wings as his original Reiatsu started flowing.

Nageki raised an eyebrow as he witnessed that change. The Fallen Angel was really powerful, probably superior to his own _Etapa Final_, which despite him not being the fighting type, was a lot to say.

The Arrancar also decided to go straight into his strongest form, so that Yama wouldn't be able to stand a chance. This time, he wouldn't hold back. He would make sure to take the King of Jigoku as far as possible to use his most destructive powers.

Joining Yamamoto as he flew towards the largest Reiatsu of the five great ones they sensed, the three decided the same strategy.

"We'll take him as far as we possibly can from the Seireitei" Yamamoto declared, implicitly accepting the two as his allies in this battle. "For both your Reiatsus, I can tell you'll be able to withstand my Bankai... But I cannot say the same about the rest of Soul Society, or the Gotei at that"

"Our powers also carry that risk" Nageki nodded. "Though we can't forget, Yama's Kamibuki can absorb even the greatest of our powers if we are not cautious"

"Yes, I already explained that to Yamamoto-san" Arikado noted. "We're gonna have to be pathologically cautious in that matter"

"And not even then are we assured of anything" Yamamoto could feel the critical nature of this encounter even before it took place. "The power of the Old Gods is said to be legendary... But I have already faced a being of comparable power in the past" He remembered the face of the 'Father of all Quincies'. "The destiny of this whole world rests in our hands"

~~~~X~~~~

"Collapse... _Sakanade__" _Shinji released his Zanpakutou, seriously staring at the black-haired Fallen Angel.

"You are a scary Captain, Hirako Shinji" Mitsuyo commented.

"Ho? And what is it that you know about me?"

The other Vizards merely stared at the two as they exchanged words.

"I don't like to brag, but I _am_ quite the investigator" Mitsuyo noted. "As you would expect, we know about the general scenario of you all and Aizen Sousuke. However, that wasn't what really surprised me. Sure, Hollow and Shinigami hybrids are interesting, but not nearly as interesting as the power of your Zanpakutou..."

"_Sakanade__?_ Yeah, I guess it's not half-bad as a weapon..." Shinji said carelessly.

Despite his words, everyone knew that the 5th Squad Captain was the most dangerous of their group. What they didn't know, was what his Bankai did, exactly.

"Last time... He returned pretty quickly to have taken care of all those Demons..." Hiyori thought. "I can't even imagine what Baldy has up his sleeve"

"You know... I was sent on a mission, one meant to confirm the deaths of all the Princes of Jigoku, as well as the completion of the God-like being, Neberu. It turns out, that none of those things were as surprising as your Bankai, Hirako-san" Mitsuyo said. "The way in which you turned the whole army of Jigoku against itself was both elegant and amusing, I must say. Such move made me understand why you didn't display this ability during your battle in Karakura, despite the decisive nature of said confrontation"

His comrades stared at Shinji in shock.

"They would've become blinded by your power and end up killing each other as well" Mitsuyo concluded.

"What a pain..." Shinji sighed with bother. "If that's all you have to say, can we start already? I'm pretty sure there are people who need our help"

"Hmhmhm... You can try as hard as you want to pretend nothing's going on here" Mitsuyo continued, now showing his true nature. "The truth of the matter is, your true power is the embodiment of egoism. Watching the world burn as you comfortably watch from inside your cocoon. What does this say about your personality? Have you ever cared about those comrades that stand beside you? Your actions and appearance may say yes, but the truth hidden inside that sword seems quite different. No wonder you've never even told them what you could do... You were always ready to dispose of them if things became too dangerous, right? If that's the case, I understand. After all, I would've done the same"

The Horseman of Famine was usually as cold and inexpressive as Ren, but behind that mask, was a cold-blooded sadist that enjoyed psychological torture more than anyone. Just like his Tenshibuki absorbed his enemies' attacks, his being enjoyed absorbing and tasting their darkest emotions.

"Ah, so this is what's all about..." He grinned. "You're trying to turn them against me, just like I did with those Demons, correct?"

"No, no... I don't think I'd be able to get that far... But at the very least, watching those hearts fill with doubt is a very useful tactic" He admitted. "I don't even have trouble saying it cause, even if I do, the seed has already been planted"

Shinji didn't even look behind as he put the Zanpakutou inside the sheath and told his friends:

"If anyone has any doubt about me, go ahead and kill me" He extended his arms, getting in a clearly defenseless position. "Just make sure to kill him as well, afterwards"

Mitsuyo was impressed by the Captain's decision, and out of mere curiosity, let go of the chance to kill him right there.

Was it possible for a man of so many secrets to be trusted blindly by comrades who shared so little in common? Shinji decided to leave the choice to them.

The Vizards behind him, after that hideous revelation, released their Zanpakutous.

He didn't even move as the Reiatsu of the seven rose behind his back.

"I would kill you a thousand times..." Hiyori spat. "But I have no doubts about you, Baldy. We know who you are at your core, and we know you would never do any of the things he says cause..."

Everyone's look became determined and confident.

"...You're just a useless lazy idiot" She concluded.

Shinji grinned again as he heard that, staring at Mitsuyo in the eye.

The next second, they all went against the Fallen Angel at once, ready to return him to the nothingness he came from.

~~~~X~~~~

"Are you sure it was okay to leave your Reigai run loose? If under the influence of that Fallen Angel's Plague, that creature could-"

"I understand your worries, Captain Kurotsuchi, but I believe we have enough backup to handle it, and still... A copy can't possibly achieve the threat level you're imagining" She refuted. "It's like that saying: 'Reality overcomes fiction'. I don't know how true that might be overall, but it certainly applies to this situation"

"If you say so..." He digressed as they arrived to their final destination, standing in front of the Castle. "Anyways, we seem to have way more important matters to attend. You don't always get the chance to dissect the first Shinigami to ever exist, after all..."

"In the name of the Soul King..." Chojiro gasped.

Ren gazed lazily at the two as he closed a book.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't see you there" He didn't lie, although he felt their Spiritual Pressure from miles away. "I thought I would be seeing more faces though... Well, maybe my name isn't all that breath-taking anymore"

"No... Quite on the contrary" Mayuri replied. "You are such a celebrity, that I couldn't help but to keep my mouth shut, with the intention to have you all to myself... Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one who got to know"

"Don't worry, you'll be grateful that more people came with you to help, otherwise you wouldn't have a chance to defeat me, nor to scratch me, to tell the truth" Ren spoke.

"Lieutenant Sasakibe, Captain Kurotsuchi, activate your Bankai" Unohana ordered. "I will do the same... If we're left no other choice, of course"

"If you say so, Captain Unohana, I won't hesitate..." Chojiro knew what that meant, a sudden chill going down his spine as he imagined that. "Bankai... _Kokou Gonryou Rikyuu!"_

Black clouds emerged out of nowhere, covering the area of the Castle in the Sky, and blasting pillars of violet lightnings at Ren, encasing him inside a dome.

"A beautiful _Shin'uchi..." _Ren praised. "But looks aren't everything. True power comes in the form of establishing laws that limit your opponent's possibilities"

With a single slash of his scythe, Ren sliced the black clouds, dividing the storm itself and showing the blue sky above.

Despite the disappointing effect, Chojiro did not give up, commanding the clouds with his hands to reform, and this time, directing lightnings at him.

Ren could tell the power of the thunderbolts was no laughing matter, so he used a shadowy _Shunpo_-like technique to dodge each of them.

Not staying behind, Mayuri went ahead and released the true power of his Zanpakutou, as he had given the two Shinigami by his side an antidote earlier, so that they would withstand the poison gas.

"Bankai: _Konjiki Ashisogi Jizou!" _He summoned the spirit inside the Zanpakutou, who wasted no time spreading the venomous mist that came out of its mouth to the battlefield. "Hahaha! It doesn't matter wether you are a legendary being or not, no one can take this deadly poison without an antidote or a physical modification"

"Is that so?" Ren tilted his head. "You leave me no choice then..." He threw the scythe into the air, its edge receiving one of Chojiro's lightnings. "Bring upon the end...

_**Death**"_

A skull-like mask covered the upper half of his face, while his skin went from just pale to bleach white skin.

His black robe was tied with more silver chains and shackles, as his scythe was tied to one of them.

The weapon itself, became a longer double-edged scythe, with a stick made out of pure bone, and a black edge made of the toughest material on Earth, and possibly, existence: Adamantine.

"Now, I'm sorry to break it to you, but I no longer exist by the principles of life" Ren said. "My heart no longer needs to beat, in effect, my lungs no longer need to breathe. Do you see how useless your power has become?"

"This is unreal... To see Kurotsuchi's deadly techniques rendered useless in a mere instant, without even attacking" Unohana thought, amazed in a frightening manner.

Ren expected to see a look of fear or, at the very least, dissapointment on Mayuri's face. However, the 12th Squad's Captain instead of falling into despair, was filled with adrenaline as he encountered said enemy.

"Magnificent! A being who doesn't live by the very principles of life!" He exclaimed. "You are indeed legendary, Shinigami Ren. I'm gonna enjoy every second of this battle, and then, every second of the vivisection I'll be doing in you... Though, are you really alive? That's the first hypothesis we're gonna have to clear!"

"Go ahead" Ren's dark blue eyes shined behind the skull, showing the three the true face of Death. "All I want is to bring death upon this world. If there is possibly a being who can prove to kill Death itself..." He grinned madly for the first time. "...I'd be more than happy to die a thousand times"

Unohana prepared her Zanpakutou, amused beyond belief to find a monster greater than herself.

* * *

**And we're back! I'm currently in Oslo, and I've had so little time to write. Me and my family have gone everywhere in the city, reason for which I've been waking up at 6-7 more or less, and I'm completely exhausted when I get back at the hotel!**

**Still, I've made a little effort and stayed up late to be able to continue this fic, as once I get back, University is already expecting me, so I really wanna advance as much as I can before that happens. In no case will I be rushing the story though, so rest assured.**

**It's cold in here, but I really love that. I was actually disappointed since we're in winter and temperatures have been like -7 at most, but it's good enough. In Kirkenes, my next stop, it is supposed to get to -15, so I'm looking forward to that, although I'm already a bit sick, but I'm blaming the plane (it was practically inevitable in three flights of 4, 15 and 2 hours respectively), let's just hope it's not Coronavirus, lol.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _By the Soul King! Great chapter! Loved this! I'm pretty much semi-speechless on all that has occurred so far in this chapter! Nonetheless, I will say that I enjoyed Yomi's interaction with Pesche and Dondochakka, along with the Arrancar and Soul Reapers! I also had the feeling though that Lilynette wouldn't be so...forgiving like the rest however due to the events that lead to Starrk's (and here's) demise till now. Who knows though? That COULD change, but then again, it WILL take time._**

**_And finally...Ichigo is SO CLOSE! He MUST defeat that fragment of Tsukoyomi! And even if he should fail, well...I just know that Ichigo will pull through somehow in some way! That's just how he is after all. His growth is limitless like Aizen once proclaimed! "You are my greatest experiment, Kurosaki Ichigo..."_**

**_Keep this up! Looking forward to more nice you're back from your trip! Have fun!_**

**_P.S. Before I go by the way, did you see the upcoming summons for Bleach Brave Souls?! I'm going ALL IN! FOR NELLLL!_**

**Reply: Happy to hear you liked that little part with Yomi. About Lilynette, she doesn't really have a reason to get over it, since Shinigami and Arrancar don't really have reasons to become friends yet, but at the very least, she's keeping her cool to work together in this moment of crisis.**

**Neither Ichigo nor Nel were directly in this chapter, which is new I think. Probably the only one in which this will happen, but anyways... He's currently fighting Tsukoyomi to both hone his new skills and learn about his powers and to TRY to get _Etapa Final_ in the process, although that is very unlikely at the moment.**

**P.S. I went all in for Nel too and guess what? Not only did I miss her, but also every other character from the new banner. All I got was fillers and dupes, and I went to the 11th fucking step! Not only that, but god damned KLab releases the banner of Christmas Nel (which I also missed) right afterwards! I swear man, I wanna kill myself AND those bastards right now for fuck's sake...**

**Anyways, my frustrations aside, I hope you all liked this Chapter, see you next time and... Evhron out.**

**P.S. The title is in honour of a song (just like every other one), so that's why it's called that. Otani Kou is the composer for the soundtrack of "Shadow Of The Colossus", so just in case you thought it's an original character** **we haven't seen or somethin', no, this and the other titles are just my way of thanking my main source of inspiration, music.**

**Glossary:**

**_Colmillo de Lobo: _Wolf's Fang.**


	40. Riders

Toushirou, Byakuya and Kenpachi had defeated their respective Reigai, so they quickly headed towards the rest, who were still battling due to the support of Ghoul Unohana, who had healed them.

Both the Seated Officers and the Captains in that area were struggling against their clones, as they were all on pair with them, and to make things worse, they were back to perfect health.

"Hey, coward" The Ghoul Shuuhei chuckled, attacking with Bakudou 62: _Hyapporankan_. "Are you ever gonna accept that your Zanpakutou's desire is the same as yours?"

"That's not true! The only thing I desire... Is to follow my own path of justice, based on the teachings Captain Tousen left me... Along with the strength of Captain Muguruma" Shuuhei spat back, dodging the barrage of glowing rods of energy.

"Pathetic... At least I'll be able to enjoy killing you!" The Ghoul attacked, ready to rip him apart with the copied _Kazeshini_. "And who knows...? Maybe I'll go have fun with Rangiku after I'm done with you!" He spouted with a thirsty tongue out.

"Rngh...!" Shuuhei growled as his copy said something he would never dare mutter. While he felt attracted to the gorgeous Lieutenant of the 10th Division, he still had respect and manners that prevented him from thinking something so indecent, and what's more, saying it with that perverted expression.

The others were in similar situations. Kira, Momo, Tetsuzaemon, Nanao, Omaeda, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Rangiku, Isane, Kiyone and Sentarou. Even Nemuri was intercepted by her Ghoul Reigai on her way to the main battlefield.

Under the Castle in the Sky, blood was spilled endlessly among the pieces of ruins of the Soul Society, product of the fierce encounter between the various combatants.

Still, even in such a desperate situation, not everything was lost. They were not alone...

"_**Reina del Bosque**!" _Apacci, in her _Resurrección_, attacked Kira's clone with a powerful charge of red Reiatsu, that took the shape of a giant deer with a great crown of horns.

The Reigai's vicious smile disappeared as it met its end at the hands of the Fracción.

"Th-Th-Thanks..." Kira shyly muttered.

"What's with that? Dude, you gotta man up!" She complained.

A similar situation occurred on the other ends.

"_**Reina de la Selva**!" _An orange lioness of Reiatsu completely erased the two Reigai that were tormenting Momo, both clones of her.

"You... Saved me..." She murmured, and then cried as she bowed. "Thank you!"

"Nah, I just did what I was told to do..." Mila Rose said in reply.

Yet in another place, Nanao was about to be crushed by steel beams from her own clone's Kidou, when someone came to her aid.

"_**Reina del Desierto**!" _A violet slithering _Cero-_like attack disintegrated the Reigai Nanao. It looked like a snake, but it had the face of a dragon.

As Nanao opened her eyes again, still in disbelief, she was surprised to see that her savior was a female Arrancar.

"I'm alive...! I... I am very grateful!" She bowed.

"Don't worry about it. We're allies after all, aren't we?" Sung-Sun noted. "That doesn't mean we're friends though"

Loly and Menoly took care of Omaeda's and Tetsuzaemon's Reigai, each Arrancar releasing their Zanpakutou.

"Poison, _Escolopendra!" _Loly exclaimed, turning into an insect humanoid, reminiscent of a centipede.

"Venom, _Escorpión!" _Menoly did the same.

Different from Loly, though, in addition to her hands turning into sharp white pincers, she gained a long tail with a penetrating stinger on its tip.

The two attacked at one of the Reigai, Loly at Omaeda's and Menoly at Tetsuzaemon's, to be precise.

Loly's arms went through the Reigai, injecting the deadly poison and disintegrating him slowly.

Menoly, on the other hand, stung her Reigai with her tail, paralizing him to later tear him apart with her pincers.

"Shit..." Tetsuzaemon cursed as he released he had been saved not only by an Arrancar, but a girl at that.

"You're welcome! Geez..." Loly corrected him.

"Th-Thank you so much!" Marechiyo got on his knees.

"Y-You're welcome, I guess..." Menoly muttered, uncomfortable due to the pathetic way in which the Lieutenant reacted.

"Let's go, Menoly, we can't leave Princess on her own" Loly told her.

"Yeah, if anything happened..." She gulped.

"I don't wanna think about it either, so let's do our job well"

Orihime, on her part, had succeeded to immobilize the Ghoul clones of Kiyone and Sentarou with her basic powers, so that the two could easily finish them.

Even without releasing her sword, she could still create the same barriers of the time she was a human.

"Thanks, Inoue-san, we couldn't have done it without your help!" Kiyone said.

"I admit that. The first time was hard already, so for this second round I was already beat..." Sentarou confessed.

"No problem, I'm glad I was of help!" She cheerfully said. "Now, I should go help someone else" She ran off, with _Sonido._

Ikkaku and Yumichika were clashing endlessly with their evil counterparts, not willing to give up. They simply wouldn't be defeated by a pair of fakers like those.

"I know how much you hate showing your real power... But, it's just... So beautiful!" The Reigai Yumichika said, menacing to do the true Shikai of his Zanpakutou.

"You wouldn't dare...!" Yumichika became pale.

Hey, out of the way!" The two Ikkakus spouted as they continued fighting, passing by the other two.

"I'm gonna kill you first!" Ikkaku said.

"No, I'M gonna kill you first!" The Reigai replied. "Bankai!"

"Fuck!" Ikkaku cursed as he knew what that meant.

If his Reigai was sane, that probably wouldn't have occurred, but under the influence of Seku's Plague, it was expected that his personality was twisted, changing the rules completely.

Just as the two were chanting the forbidden command, someone stopped the two with a roar.

A giant chimera-like beast of brown fur charged into the battle, destroying everything on its path.

"That thing...!" The two Shinigami remembered seeing it in Fake Karakura.

The Tres Bestias were proudly mounted on their pet, each one occupying a different spot. Left shoulder (Mila Rose), head (Apacci) and right shoulder (Sung-Sun).

"Turn those two into dust!" Apacci commanded.

The beast looked at the four, perplexed at the almost ewual appearance they had.

"The ones with those strange 'shiny' eyes" Sung-Sun clarified.

Ayon now understood what it had to do more clearly, attacking the two copies, who hadn't managed to release their true power thanks to the Fracciones' intermission, with its hands, tossing them into the air.

"What the-?" The Ghoul Ikkaku protested.

"Now!" The trio ordered.

The chimera easily put an end to the conflict between Ikkaku, Yumichika and their Reigai, blasting a giant red _Cero_ that erased the two beings in a couple seconds.

"Aaarghhh! But... Even my death is so beautiful!" The Reigai Yumichika spouted.

"Oi, what the hell?!" Ikkaku was furious. "That was our battle!"

"I agree..." Yumichika also seemed annoyed.

"How rude...!" Sung-Sun didn't even want to look at them.

"You should be thankful, you were gonna die, you idiots!" Mila Rose shouted.

"We'd rather die than get help... From anyone!" Ikkaku replied.

"Yes, please don't take this personal, but as members of Squad 11, battle is sacred. We'll forgive you, just because you're not Shinigami, hence you had no way of knowing" Yumichika elegantly concluded.

"Oh, fuck you!" Apacci cursed. "But don't fret, if there's ever a next time (and I really hope there's not) we'll gladly leave you all by yourselves so you can go and die in peace! Freaks..."

The Fracciones turned their back along with the monster, heading towards the others that still needed help.

Shuuhei, Isane and Rangiku were still immersed in a deadly battle against their Reigai, feeling as if they were facing their own darkness.

"You... Fucking fake!" Shuuhei spouted, trying to defeat his clone with all his might.

"Who's the real faker though? The one who runs away from his destiny or the one that accepts who he is? You should think about that before using such strong words"

The two clashed with their released Zanpakutous, relentlessly looking for an opening to end the fight in a single swing.

"If only I had trained more..." Shuuhei blamed his own lack of strength, despite the clear preparation the Reigai had in contrast.

Before any thought of giving up rose in his mind, however, he remembered how there was something his clone couldn't possibly have.

Removing the bands from his wrists, he threw them at the Ghoul. As soon as the explosion caught him, Shuuhei dashed forward with a rolling swing of _Kazeshini_, managing to severe one of the Reigai's arms.

"Argh! You... I'm gonna kill you! Kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill KILL KILL KIIIIIIILLLLLLLL!"

"Now it is perfectly clear... You are not me, and won't ever be" He declared, ready to put an end to him.

"No... At least... I'm not afraid... Kgh!" He grinned. "Ban...kai...!"

"You scum!" Shuuhei became enraged.

He had never trained his Bankai, although he had already achieved it. This was because of his difficult relationship with Kazeshini, so he feared something terrible could happen if he went ahead unprepared, both physically and mentally.

However, the Ghoul didn't have that fear. He would do anything it took to kill him. Even without nearly mastering the technique, he would risk it all just to see the world burn.

"_Fushi no-"_

"I don't think so!" Sung-Sun said as Ayon rushed to attack Reigai, crushing it with a devastating punch.

Shuuhei opened his mouth in amazement as he realized who had come to his aid.

The images of the battle in Fake Karakura Town flashed back as he stared at the giant Hollow beast.

"Beat him to a pulp, Ayon!" Mila Rose commanded.

The Fracciones' pet did as he was told and continued punching the Reigai until nothing but a Soul Candy remained.

"Wait... This means you guys are...?" The Lieutenant asked, still surprised to see a previous enemy helping him.

"Yes, we are the masters of Ayon. Did you know him or anything?" Apacci asked.

"That thing almost killed me back in Karakura!" He yelled.

"He did?" Mila Rose didn't seem to care much. "Well, take this as a 'sorry' on his part"

"Tch... Anyways, you DID save my ass... So thank you, I guess..."

"You're welcome... Now, where should we go...?" They looked towards a confrontation between two Bankai of Tengen Myo'o and two shadows that appeared and disappeared all over the place like Ninjas. "Maybe... We should leave them alone. They seem to be handling things well enough"

On a different area though, Isane was having serious trouble with her Reigai, as it seemed to have the upper hand in terms of Kidou expertise.

"Hadou 31: _Shakkahou!" _The two attacked at the same time.

The Ghoul's attack was stronger than hers, enough to deal her some damage after their collision.

"How is this possible?" She asked herself, noticing that her powers were inferior.

"Now, give me your flesh, your soul, your place!" The evil Reigai demanded as it ran towards her. "Run, _Itegumo!__"_

Just before Isane was stabbed, a yellow energy field protected her.

"This power is...!" Isane knew it.

"Now, let's see if what I learned with Ulquiorra works..." Orihime closed her eyes, and prepared her Zanpakutou_, _embedding a golden-yellow field on the edge of the blade.

Appearing in front of the Reigai with _Sonido_, she quickly slashed the Ghoul with her sword, using her special powers at the same time.

"_Intervalo!"_

Instead of destroying her, the cuts she dealt upon the Reigai had simply divided its body into pieces, not leaving a single drop of blood, thus not dealing any real damage, yet rendering her opponent useless.

"Wow... Thank you, Inoue-san" Isane seemed really grateful. "I would've lost if it wasn't for you"

"It's nothing..." She giggled nervously. "Actually, I was pretty scared too, as I'm not a natural fighter, so I wasn't sure I could make it work, but it looks like it did!"

"What... Is... This...?" The Reigai's detached head muttered.

Isane examined the way in which the Reigai was left.

"This power is unlike anything I've seen... It is alive and yet... Its body is scattered all over the place"

"Yeah I... I don't think I'm ready to actually kill someone, so I thought defeating them was good enough, and my powers allow it so... I'm really happy with what I accomplished"

"Don't worry, I'll take it from here. There's no need for you to stain your hands with blood" Isane assured her, staring at her clone with pity.

"Thank you for understanding" Orihime smiled, a bit shyly due to her inability to kill a more sentient-looking being.

Sure, in the past she had taken care of Hollows, but this was a completely different story. As dark as these Reigai were due to 'The Plague', they still looked similar to people she knew. It was impossible for her to kill them in the same way as she did with the spirit monsters.

"Princess!" Menoly and Loly ran to her.

"Girls, you're alright! Wow, you look really powerful in your _Resurrección"_

"Thank you" Loly smiled, but became angry right after. "Hey, don't try to flatter me to make me forget the problem at hand!"

"Eh?" She tilted her head in confusion.

"What did we tell you about leaving our side? Wait, what's that?!" She noticed that the woman had the Zanpakutou in her hand. "You were fighting? Oh shit... Please tell me you're okay...!" She checked her. "Do you see anything, Menoly?"

"No, she appears to be unscathed" The blonde replied, sighing in relief as well.

"Thank God..." Loly seemed calmer. "What were you thinking?!"

"Sorry... I just... I wanted to help... And since Ulquiorra had taught me a couple things... I thought I-"

"*sigh* I know, I know... Geez, it's almost impossible taking care of you, Princess" Loly crossed her arms.

"At least she's alright... But please refrain from running off like that again" Menoly requested.

"Okay... I... I'll do my best" She smiled at them, though her answer wasn't convincing in any way.

"And, D-Don't get the wrong idea!" Loly reassured. "We're just worried now because our necks are at stake. It's not like we're friends or anything"

"Sure" Orihime giggled, knowing that wasn't true.

Finally, the last Lieutenant that was in trouble continued fighting her Reigai, creating a sandstorm with her Zanpakutou's Shikai.

"Was I always so weak...? ~Fufufu~" The Reigai mocked as she fought back with the same strength. "Now, seriously though, it's no wonder you couldn't save Gin"

"What are you...?!" She became enraged by such venomous words.

"Oh please, don't think I'm trying to provoke you here. I'm just stating a fact. You are lazy, weak and useless. All your empty tears ever got was getting your loved one killed" The Ghoul continued. "You never deserved him"

"That's not true!" Rangiku, angrily, tried to turn her to dust with _Haineko_.

The Reigai, however, easily saw her lousy rage-powered movements. It had succeeded in upsetting her.

"Is that the best you can do? If that's so, I guess I'll end this quickly" She laughed. "It's ironic even... If only he was alive, I would be so much better for him. Instead of cowering in fear, I would gladly accept him completely. His cold being... His bloodlust... I would love it all. You, on the other hand, were always afraid of him... What kind of woman would be afraid of the man she loves? You're just a pansy bitch"

"I wasn't afraid of him! I just... I just never saw how far he was going... And I didn't get the chance to stop him..." Rangiku tried to comfort herself.

"Fucking liar" The clone chuckled. "You never really knew what he was up to, cause you never had the spine to see it for yourself. You had no chance, but that's due to your own incompetence. You're better off dead, just accept it already!"

"If I died..." She thought, seeing his silhouette walking into a blinding light. "Would then I be able to walk by your side... Gin?"

As Rangiku thought that, exhausted both physically and mentally, she lost track of her Reigai for a second.

A second the Ghoul did not waste as she tried to slit her throat in an instant with a slash of _Haineko's_ sand.

When her blue eyes came back to the real world, everything seemed to be in slow motion as her life flashed before her eyes.

"Shit... Looks like I lost my focus" She realized. "How stupid of me... Falling for such nonsense to a terribly bad copy. Seriously, did she even TRY to use make-up to fix that pale and tired look? Fufu... No... Seriously..." She sighed, looking back on all the things that she would leave behind. "I'm sorry Captain... I never was the hard-working type, and actually, I left like ten piles of undone work" She could even hear his voice scolding her. "I'm sorry, Orihime-chan, guess we won't be able to go shopping anymore" She remembered her friend. "Shuuhei, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Renji, Ichigo and Kira... I had a blast teasing you all" Those shenanigan-filled times she spent with them had been fun for sure. "And of course, the same goes to all the girls back at the Shinigami Women's Association. Yes, even you, flat-plank Nanao" The severing sand was reaching her neck. "I hope... That we can meet again in this next life... Gin"

She was already feeling a slight pain in her neck when her body was sent flying away from the sandstorm, tossed by someone who had grabbed her by the sleeve of her Shihakusho.

"What...?" Was all she could mutter, falling into the tiled rooftop of one of the houses.

Her senses couldn't respond correctly as the world returned to its usual rythm. No, it was way faster.

The next thing she saw, was that the sandstorm ceased.

All that was left, was the corpse of her Reigai, slowly disappearing until it only left a pink Soul Candy and the mysterious masked Arrancar.

"That is... Kitsune...san" She remembered.

The Arrancar's clothes were a bit dirty, indicating that the Ghoul Rangiku had tried to fight back. On closer inspection, his mask was also damaged, having a fissure right in one of his eyes, allowing her to see a trace of his sky-blue orb, staring right at her.

"That look... Those eyes... No" She denied it, as it wasn't logically possible. "I must be seeing things... After going through all that... Yeah, that must be it"

Gin passed his hand through the mask, wondering why she stared at him so much.

Exactly. A crack. One big enough for her to see his iris clearly.

And he could feel it. Her eyes like rapid rivers over him, searching him.

Like he could deal with it, like he could take it... Everything... And lose her too.

"Hmph..." He chuckled in disbelief. "So you still remember these eyes... These cold reptilian eyes... Rangiku" He murmured, only to himself. "Very well then..."

With her safe, Gin was ready to go where Harribel had requested him earlier, supporting the Vizards against the Horseman of Famine.

"If I survive... I promise I'll tell you the truth" He vowed to her, despite the strawberry-blonde girl not hearing him.

He turned around and used _Sonido_ as he disappeared into the sky, ready to face the one of the people responsible for endangering her. It was unforgivable.

~~~~X~~~~

The three allies looked ti the same spot as a soul-shattering Reiatsu was released, clearly on purpose.

"Yama..." They thought at the same time.

"Sorry for the wait... But I had to make sure that I was in top condition for such implacable challengers" Yama said with pride as he saw the trio of legends.

The once strongest Archangel under Amaterasu's command.

The immortal Arrancar, and Primera Espada of Mugetsu.

And last but definitely not least, the strongest Shinigami in the Seireitei, the one who had Commanded the 13 Guard Squads for more than a thousand years.

"How dare you show your face in this World?" Yamamoto criticized. "After all these years of peace... What is the point of bringing it all to the ground?"

"Oh... I see you're upset due to the damage I caused your precious Soul Society. Sorry about that, but I really needed to get you all out of the way in order to calmly extract the Ouken from Karakura... If only there was a way to get one more easily..."

"I'm glad there's none. Cause then, what's next? You'll just destroy the Soul King and take his power, am I wrong? Arikado-san already informed us of your power and intentions, so there's no way I'm gonna sit back as you destroy everything we've constructed" Yamamoto declared. "I've seen this world rise back from the ashes many times, stronger after every cataclysm! I won't allow someone like you to destroy what we have"

"Someone like me? Hahaha... I remind you, Captain Commander, that I am an Old God. I may have been banished, but my authority is absolute" Yama replied, full of pride.

"That is not true. Amaterasu-sama made sure that we all stayed in Takemagahara and Tentei... So that the world of mortals would only belong to them. The Soul King stabilized the three worlds by starting the Soul Cycle, which is why they are this way today. You have no authority outside of Jigoku and the Togabito" Arikado clarified, easily refuting his claim.

Yamamoto stood in silence as he heard the actual truth. The worlds hadn't been created by the Soul King, but just stabilized by him. He knew that said truth was just a fabricated statement made by the Four Noble Families upon the foundation of Soul Society as everyone knew it, in order to avoid any rebellious intent towards the Soul King and their system.

Despite that, the Captain Commander wanted to protect peace above everything else. If people had to live a lie in order to maintain their current lifestyle, so be it.

"Whatever... I will not discuss authority with a servant like you" Yama looked down on him. "Besides, do you really think you can possibly stop me? Your powers are useless against me"

"I wouldn't say that... After all, you had a pretty bad time with my special attack the other day, don't you think?" Nageki reminded him.

"Hahah... You... You are asking me to kill you so damn badly..." The God was outraged by the comment.

"Go ahead. It's what I've wanted all along" He smiled, his fuchsia eyes glaring at him. "It's true... It might be impossible for _us_... But I'll make sure that _he_ can kill you in case we don't" The Arrancar thought, scheming a counter-strategy, in case a full fledged assault failed.

"I'll make sure to extinguish your whole race after I'm done with everything!" He got the double-sided Katana out of its sheath, increasing the pressure in the area.

"Transform... _Alquimista: **Etapa Final**" _Nageki released his power, and turned his body into Adamantine.

"Open the gate of the Abyss... **_Abaddon_**_" _Arikado's wings became larger and an army of Reiatsu locusts joined him. These ones couldn't poison the enemy, but depended only on his own Reiryoku, so the other's attacks wouldn't affect them for as long as it didn't affect him. "It's time for the real fight..."

The locusts swarmed over him, but keeping their distance, reducing his visibility but not giving him the chance to absorb their power.

"Cautious, aren't we? No matter" Yama said to himself, already thinking of a way for that to work in his favor.

A gray fog filled the air, now completely nullifying his chances to see what was going on beyond the swarm of locusts and above clouds.

A point blank explosion quickly showed him the way things were going, sending him really far from his previous location, and in the place if arrival, someone was already expecting him with a really warm welcome. One that burned as hot as the core of the sun itself

_"Bankai... **Zanka no Tachi**"_

~~~~X~~~~

"Yo, are you even trying or what?" Shinji mocked as Mitsuyo seemed really disoriented.

Even with his eyes closed (in order to prevent the most distracting sense), the Fallen Angel's sense of pain and location were inverted as well. After a whole life fighting, many actions become a reflex based on your basic senses, and that's what failed him the most in that situation.

The masked Shinigami seemed to come from nowhere as they dealt him damage, slowly, but certainly effectively.

While he could absorb their Reiatsu as soon as they used an actual attack, there was no chance for him if they were just using melee weapons as well.

Blocking attacks out of pure luck, he knew he wouldn't be able to take it much longer. Eight against one was a very bad scenario, even for him, so he was left with a single option to get out of that predicament.

"Starve them to death... _**Hel**" _Mitsuyo commanded, releasing a power that would invert the current situation.

He extended five pairs of black wings as a golden armour with dark blue ornaments encased him, showing his might as one of the Four Horsemen.

Finally, getting the two blades on his back out, one of red handle and the other one of blue, he activated the first ability that would help him.

"_Informal Gluttony" _Suddenly, everyone felt how their Shikai was cancelled and a portion of their Reiatsu had been drained.

"What did he...?" Kensei was in shock.

Mitsuyo's wounds healed in an instant, showing how their previous efforts had been futile.

"Itadakimasu!" He said coldly. "Your Reiatsu is pretty tasty I must say. Maybe that mixture between Shinigami and Hollow gives it that special touch... Wouldn't you agree?"

"Tch... Let me guess. You sealed every Zanpakutou in your Reiatsu's area?" Shinji asked, just for confirmation.

"Not exactly. It's more like... I ate your Zanpakutou's abilities and you're never using them again" The Horseman replied.

All the Vizards stood there, shocked by such an unbelievable declaration.

"You're kidding me!" Hiyori spat, her eyes widened.

"Nope. This is an ability I rarely use, in fact, cause I have to use a lot of _my_ Reiryoku. However, your Zanpakutou's ability didn't leave me other choice. Right now, your spirits are all inside my swords, and as long as I'm alive... Well, let's just say you're as good as a Samurai"

"My music...!" Rose seemed completely maddened by the thought of losing his powers.

"How unfair..." Lisa bit her lip.

"And what is fairness, if I may ask?" Mitsuyo questioned her. "Eight against one? Under these conditions... Maybe it was fair cause... What is real justice? Is there something like it, or is it all just an approximation? Maybe, the end justifies the means? Or maybe not... But that's not what I'm here for" He concluded. "The truth behind my power, is that it all comes to nothing in the scheme of things. You're unable to use even your Shikai, and at the same time, you cannot use any form of Kidou cause I'll take advantage from it. In your case, Hollow powers are out of the question as well. You're as good as human against me, and let me tell you... There is no human who can beat an Angel... And even less a Fallen one"

"Tsk... Bastard" Love muttered.

"Mashiro is super angry" She pouted.

"So... Are you just gonna give up, or are you going to try something reckless? Whatever choice is fine with me" Mitsuyo carelessly said.

"Very well then..." Shinji sighed, putting the empty Sakanade back in the sheath. "Let's go home, everyone"

"What? You're just gonna leave him all by his own?!" Hiyori spat in reply. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"If you wanna fight, go ahead, but it's stupid..." He retorted. "If anyone's got a chance, it's probably Kensei and Mashiro who are good with Hakuda. For the rest of us it's just suicide"

"But...! But...!" She didn't have anything logical to refute that idea. "That's what a coward would do!"

"Yeah, it is... But at least a coward's gonna live on and tell the story"

"There is no story to tell if these guys conquer it all, bald imbecile!"

"Idiotic midget!" He spat back, knowing what that would create.

The two continued quarreling endlessly, easily taking the spotlight. Even Mitsuyo seemed to be caught by their argument, despite its childish nature.

So caught... That he didn't even see it coming when a long blade passed through his body.

"Kgh...! What in this world...!?" Mitsuyo muttered as he looked back.

"Hi hi!" Gin saluted carelessly, taking off the Kitsune mask as he mocked the Fallen Angel. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but I had to take care of a couple things before coming to your party. Everyone seems to be having fun, although a little disagreement seemed to pop up... That's unfortunate, but these kind of things are what makes parties lively as well, just the right touch to add some spice, don't you think?"

"Everyone, turn him into shreds!" Shinji commanded.

He had planned to use Gin as a backup plan since the very moment they had gone without him. Honestly, he wasn't sure what kind of situation they would be immersed in, but he had heard from Urahara and other Captains that he was especially gifted for stealth and surprise appearances, so much that he was a natural-born assassin. Such an ally was surely an outstanding trump card to play at his favor, and it had been a complete success.

Mitsuyo quickly escaped the blade, harming his body greatly in the process, but immediately healing it with the Reiatsu he had stored before, though this meant it was only becoming less and less, so he wouldn't be able to tolerate many more attacks like those.

He activated his Tenshibuki, one sword catching fire and the other one being cloaked in water.

He sliced the air, throwing waves of fire and water at the Vizards and the Arrancar as they all moved around him, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Hachigen, not being directly in combat, followed his companions' movements really closely, ready to create a barrier if necessary.

"_Shinso" _Gin giggled as he shot the blade at Mitsuyo.

While it wasn't nearly as fast as his original Zanpakutou, the way in which _Basilisco_ could contort and follow the enemy for a long distance was a great ability as well.

Mitsuyo was having trouble at first, but as the seconds went by, he got more accustomed to the way of fighting the Vizards had.

His speed was still far superior to that of the Vizards, even with their masks on, so it wasn't all that hard to dodge their attacks, even with their numerical superiority. However, even with that sensation, he couldn't help but feel that there was more going on around him than just what he was able to grasp at the moment.

"I won't let them win, that's for sure. No matter how hungry for victory they are..." Mitsuyo thought, creating a hurricane of flames and two cyclones of water.

Hachigen protected his friends who were in the line of fire (literally).

As they were all distracted with the great destructive attack, Mitsuyo decided to start the ritual that, he believed, would grant him victory.

He quickly made his way towards Hachigen, absorbing his Reiatsu as his guard was down.

"_Tarnished Gluttony" _He said as he stabbed him in the back, making him collapse.

"Hachi!" Hiyori went to his aid, attempting to attack Mitsuyo.

The Horseman, instead of dodging, showed her where did they get their title from. "Come forth... Famine"

A black horse with gold armour intercepted her, protecting its master.

"So that's why they are known as Horsemen" Gin realized.

Mitsuyo chuckled as he finished extracting the Reiryoku he needed, leaving an unconscious and badly wounded Hachigen to fall to his demise.

"Hiyori, take him to Orihime-san, now!" Shinji ordered.

She nodded, determined to save him, using all her might to take the Vizard to the girl as quickly as possible.

"Wait... Why would you do that?" Love inquired, angered, but confused as well. "You can't use that Reiatsu for attacks, and you are completely healed... What are you trying to get?!"

"That... Is correct. Although, I'm afraid to reveal that my greatest feat does not require any form of energy..." He stabbed himself in the stomach, gruesomely letting the dark blood out. "But... A sacrifice... Of flesh..."

"This doesn't look good..." Lisa could tell.

"At all" Rose agreed.

A dark red aura started coming out of the Horseman's body, and Famine, the horse, was being absorbed by said aura as well.

"It's been such a long time since I've used it... And don't worry, I won't use nearly as much power... As I would on an apocalyptic scale..." He panted. "But it will be just enough... To return you all to nothing..."

"What is he...?" Kensei was bewildered by that claim, oblivious about the way in which they could react.

"I don't know... Arikado-san didn't say much about him..." Shinji admitted his ignorance. "But based on his previous attacks, it wouldn't surprise me if he could take all the Reiryoku from our bodies"

They all were shocked by said possibility, and unfortunately, it was a plausible development after all they had witnessed.

"But then we would...!" Lisa muttered in disbelief.

Mitsuyo left his emotionless expression in the past as he smiled with a sadistic look on his eyes.

"That's it... Feed me fear..." His tongue came out with an evil grin. "Feed me fear as it all comes to an end..." The red aura melted his two blades as a sphere of dark red plasma was starting to form on top of his head.

"_**Ragnarok**"_

~~~~X~~~~

Kento had also gotten an armour of copper and orichalcum as he extended his tragic wings into the fierce battle with the three Espada.

His Claymore was charged with a powerful red, orange and yellow Reiatsu that looked like a rising fire as he swinged it proudly.

"_Aegis"_ The Fallen Angel commanded, creating an arsenal of various Reiatsu-based cannons and blasters, as well as a tactical barrier, made of square-like pieces of Reiatsu.

"_Cero Volcánico"_ Harribel attacked.

The squares instantly moved and regrouped to protect Kento from her beam completely.

"Just like I thought..." Ulquiorra said, indicating that he already had an idea of what their adversary's ability was like.

"What do we do then, Primera?" Grimmjow scoffed as he waited for a command from his superior, showing his unwillingness to have him in charge.

"Just like my Zanpakutou... We must enclose the enemy. No matter how versatile that barrier is, if we are able to overwhelm him, we'll be able to deal some good damage" He calmly replied, showing that he had no interest in a pointless quarrel with him.

Kento, without any delay, came after them, swinging the heavy claymore and leaving a trail of Reiatsu explosions in the process.

"Tsk... That's easier said than done!" Grimmjow retorted as they dispersed to dodge the assault. "You can't pretend to pull that shit off with this guy blowing up everything in his path!"

"That's why you have a plan... Right, Ulquiorra?" Harribel inquired, hoping to receive a positive answer, as Grimmjow had a point.

Ulquiorra could clearly see the mark in Grimmjow's Hollow Hole. There was only one way to put that ideal strategy in practice.

"Yeah... I do" He suspiciously answered. "For now, I wanna see what this guy's fully capable of... But then, that moment will come" He thought, gazing at his two fellow Espada. "Harribel, come with me. We'll attack from two flanks at once. Grimmjow, I want your support from the distance, is that alright?"

"Whatever..." He clearly wanted the front line, but even he had to admit that the difference in power was too great to even try said plan. "I'll slash him to bits from here!"

"Whatever you say..." Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. "Let's go, Harribel"

"Yes. Do I give it my all or...?"

"I'd tell you to take it easy if we were facing a known threat. But unfortunately... That's not the case, is it? So just make sure that you have enough to keep fighting for a while"

"Understood" She nodded, advancing into the enemy's area with both decision and caution, spinning her trident with boiling water.

Ulquiorra did the same from the other side, forcing Kento to act quickly in order to protect himself.

Shooting endlessly with the blasters, Kento quickly became ecstatic, as if witnessing the beginning of the apocalyptic war he and the other members of the Four Horsemen desired.

Not only that, but the clashing Reiatsu of the other encounters at the time only fed this sensation more and more. Nothing could snap away the thought of destruction, death and violence becoming eternal.

Kento's dream was living a perfect war. Seeing opposite factions fighting to prove their superiority in a conflict that lasted for evermore.

"Perfect war forever!" He said as he battled against the three Espada, blocking direct hits from Ulquiorra and Harribel with his weapon and his arms as his barrier took care of Grimmjow's ranged attacks.

Kento was an idiot, but he was clearly an eminence in the art of fighting. His senses were always sharp, and the way in which he could keep himself cool as he faced various powerful enemies at once was simply a feat to admire.

Ulquiorra carefully analized the moves of his enemy, trying to decode a series of patterns in an intent to find a more tangible strategy as he continued fighting with _Chauve-Souris_.

Harribel did the same, alternating attacks from _Megalodon _and her cannon-like arm, in hope of finding a weakness or, at least, an opening in the unbreakable stance of her adversary.

Kento could feel his blood boiling with adrenaline as the Espada became more aware of his movements, learning fast and not leaving anything to chance. They were fighting machines, and he was proud of that. In fact, of all the races, the one Kento mostly liked was that of Hollows, due to their intrinsic violence and their warlike way of life.

For him, it was a pity that such a formidable fighting species would come to an end under Yama's plan. Even so, Kento would gladly fight Yama in an intent to stop him, even knowing that he would die if he took said decision, cause he believed Hollows were the only beings that would be able to create the war he ached to witness and, if possible, participate, so with them gone... He would rather be gone as well, although a war against the Angels also seemed tempting.

"This is getting interesting! As a reward, let me show you what makes me a Horseman! Come, WAR!" A horse of fiery red fur protected by an Orichalcum armour came out of his Reiatsu's aura, its copper horseshoes sounding like cannonball blasts.

The horse went straight for Grimmjow, leaving clear that it wouldn't allow the three Espada to go as they pleased anymore.

"Fuck!" Grimmjow cursed as the horse attacked him. "This thing is far more dangerous than it looks... But I'm not quitting! I'm gonna keep slashing 'til you're nothing but smithereens!"

Kento laughed as he continued fighting the other two Espada, all while watching his pet battling Grimmjow.

"Don't worry, I was just teasing you a little! This is what horses are for!" Kento said, blowing Ulquiorra and Harribel away with an explosion of his claymore.

The next moment, War came galloping at him, and as soon as the two came in contact, am explosion of the same fire-like Reiatsu of before surprised the three.

Out of the fire, came Kento, fused with his horse, like a centaur.

On each of the horse-body's sides were blasters, and the humanoid part of Kento still had his gigantic blade with him, along with an automatic crossbow he had in his other hand.

"Full offensive, that's the way I like it!" Kento said as he shot a barrage of flaming arrows of Reiatsu at Ulquiorra, while slashing his claymore at Harribel, all at the same time as the blasters were shooting yellow beams at Grimmjow.

"He's the real deal... A way more complicated foe than I imagined" Ulquiorra thought. "There's only one way..."

Harribel was completely focused on Kento as ahe clashed her trident with his Claymore, barely standing on her feet as every hit seemed to be stronger.

"Kgh... If this doesn't stop... I don't know how much more I can possibly take!" She thought desperately. "But one thing's for sure... I won't be defeated by him, or any horseman at that. I won't let men who take Nel-sama's form so lightly attain victory!"

The Horsemen were a lot older than even Yukari, obviously, but for Harribel, the fact that there was someone who could transform into a centaur without her master's elegance and mercy was simply unforgivable.

She was clashing the trident with more and more strength as she thought about that, berzerk out of pure anger and frustration.

"Yes! YES YES YES YES YES YES! That's more like it! Just keep going further with more and more violence! That's what you were born to...!"

And that comment, suddenly made her snap.

All the teachings of Nelliel as well as her own ideas were being slammed by that impulsive behaviour. She was becoming an uncontrollable beast just like any basic Hollow. She wouldn't accept that.

"No... I must... Be better than this!" She told herself as she remembered the elegant yet rich style of fighting her predecessor had taught her.

She dodged the last slash of Kento, and countered by jumping with a somersault over the Horseman's head, spinning her body with her trident being held firm, creating a whirlpool of boiling water.

"_Remolino Hirviendo!"_

The frenzy mass of water swallowed Kento as she stood in the sky, calmly waiting to see the results of her efforts.

Unfortunately for her, before she could take a deeper breath, a powerful hand came out of the cyclone and grabbed her by the neck. Kento had escaped.

"Gah...!" She gasped as she was being strangled.

"No, Tier!" Grimmjow yelled, going to her aid.

But no matter how much he felt it, mere will or desire to protect was not enough to face an enemy so much greater to him.

Kento easily dispatched him, sending him flying with an explosive red flame.

Grimmjow, however, would not dare give up. Harribel was in trouble, he didn't care about anything else. That being the case, he was ready to swallow his own pride and ask for help, as we would not risk losing her.

"C'mon Ulquiorra, help me with this piece of shit! Tier's gonna get killed!"

"No" He coldly retorted.

Grimmjow's eyes froze in place as he heard the negative reply.

"The fuck did you just say?!"

"I said no, Grimmjow. There's nothing we can do..." He shook his head. "I'd love to say it's not your fault, but in fact it is..." Ulquiorra sighed. "...You're weak"

His teeth were pressed with anger and his lip trembled a bit.

"W-Weak...?!"

The Primera turned his back on Harribel, leaving the battle slowly.

"I'll go wait for Ichigo... As for you, you should just give up. Don't worry, no one will judge you. Everyone knows you weren't up to the task... And don't get the wrong idea" He clarified. "It's pitiful to lose a formidable comrade like Harribel, but I'm just not gonna stand here and suffer a meaningless death because of my allies wasn't strong enough"

"No... You gotta be shittin' me...! You are the only one that can help me!"

"Wrong" Ulquiorra dismissed. "I'm the only one who's actually able to do something... Cause right now, in this opportunity, you're useless, Grimmjow"

"Use...less...?!" He couldn't even process it.

His eyes quickly went back to Harribel as she was starting to pass out.

"Grimm... Jow..." She muttered as she was being asphyxiated, her face showing a look of despair and sadness unseen in her, especially in that form Grimmjow admired.

If only he could do something, anything. If only he had a single possibility of saving her.

"For fuck's sake... FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!!!" He cursed his own inability.

"Yeah, that's it. Keep cursing your own weakness as your beloved dies a horrible imminent death..." Ulquiorra whispered swiftly, only increasing the contempt inside Grimmjow's heart. "Or... You can choose to fight, not like the beast you've always been, but like the man you have become"

That made the panther Arrancar finally understand what Ulquiorra was doing.

"So that's it..." At last, he could comprehend. "I was so damn blind... I remember what that weird voice said, and now that I'm here, seeing it with my own eyes, it's all true..." He thought, his heart starting to beat faster and faster. "I hate being weak, Tier... Because that means...!"

Ulquiorra smirked proudly as he witnessed the moment of truth.

"...I WON'T BE ABLE TO PROTECT YOU!" Grimmjow roared, severing Kento's arm with a strength unlike any he had ever bestowed in the past.

"What the...?!" Kento was surprised by that as well.

With the blonde woman in his arms, almost completely out of oxygen, an explosion of black and blue Reiatsu illuminated the area, ending in a white flash.

~~~~X~~~~

Lilynette and the other's continued facing the weakest Horseman, who was having trouble handling the four.

"I'm getting tired of this..." Seku thought with tedium. "It's time I show you true despair!"

He stepped back with his lance, using the aura of his horse, Plague, to use his most powerful ability.

_"**Sebitti**" _He said, commanding seven different familiars to appear.

"What the hell are those?" Bryssling spouted, looking at the god-looking like beings with intrigue and caution.

"Let me introduce you to my personal guard. Instead of showing you my horse like the others... I have my own way of using that power, and let me tell you, it's by far the most beautiful!"

"You talk too much" Lilynette said bored as she attempted to slash him with her two swords.

Two of the familiars intercepted her with their bronze weapons, one embedded with Light and the other one with Darkness.

"Nice try, Inu-gal, but these Seven lower Gods will protect me no matter what, and they're really tough to beat as we, so this is pretty much settled. You don't stand a chance"

"What did you just call her...?" Satya asked with disgust, the black thick fluid going out of his long sword.

"Oh, my bad. Should I just refer to her as bitch? It's technically correct after all" Seku shrugged with a mocking expression drawn on his lips.

"Let's go!" Ashido commanded, Bryssling and Lilynette following, as they all knew that things were about to get serious, cause Satya wasn't fucking around.

They were all stopped by the Sebitti, but that allowed Satya to focus on Seku while the others took care of the guardians.

Seku's smile started trembling as the Espada stared at him with his bright golden eyes, full of hate.

"Hey, you know... I was just... Fooling around a bit, that's all! I-I never meant to actually...!"

"No. You meant that and more, I can tell" Satya coldly retorted. "So for everything you said to insult her, I'll make sure to give you a nightmare you won't ever be able to forget..."

Seku, despite his sudden moment of fear, cooled his head for a moment and wholeheartedly accepted the challenge, preparing his spear.

"I see you have no intention of forgiving me so... I might as well prove you that even in my inexperience, I am a far superior being! It's only natural that I can make fun of you or your girlfriend"

"You can babble all you want..." Satya advanced with _Sonido_, swinging the black sword of liquid fear, not.caring about a single word that came out the Fallen Angel's rotten mouth. "But I'm not gonna let you get away with this!"

* * *

**Sorry**** for the delay, but I was on a cruise for a whole week through the fjords of Norway, and now I'm in Scotland and, although I stay at a hotel and all, believe me when I say that I'm all day out visiting places and stuff, which is great and really inspirational, but it's not good for writing at the rythm I (and you might as well) am used to.** **Still****, it's been a great trip, and I've been able to work anyways, just a lot slower.**

**Next**** Chapter we'll reach the conclusion concerning the Four Horsemen and the remaining Reigai (Urahara I'm looking at you), so that will be the last "boring" Chapter (cause I know you all just wanna see Ichigo to come back) although a couple interesting things DID happen in this one, but honestly... I can't wait for the main course of this conclusion to arrive either.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Whoo! Great chapter! And yea, I know the feeling of not being able to summon the right character on BBS sometimes... why you do this KLab?!_**

**_But I digress. Another great chapter! Looking forward to mor__e!_**

**Reply: That shit always happens, especially with my dear Nelliel I'm afraid, but all I can do is pray and get all the orbs I possibly can.**

**See you all next time! Evhron out.**

**P.S: I changed the names of the weapons of the Four Horsemen to have more variety, so they come from different mythologies. Now only the horses are named after their actual title, although Death remains the same, cause that's how Christianism/Mafia works.**

**P.S.2: I know that Nanao's and Kira's Reigai were already dead after accompanying Kagerouza, but the ones that appear in this Chapter were spares he left in Soul Society just in case, hence they became Ghouls.**

**Glossary:**

**_Intervalo: _Interval. Division or space between something. This ability is very similar to how Trafalgar D. Law cuts people in pieces with his Devil Fruit without harming them.**

**_Reina del Desierto: Queen of the Desert._**

**_Reina del Bosque: Queen of the Forest._**

**_Reina de la Selva: Queen of the Jungle._**

**_Remolino Hirviendo: Boiling Swirl._**

**_Sebitti:_ Sumerian mythology. Seven lesser Gods created by Marduk to serve as the weapons of Erra, God of Plague.**


	41. The Second Coming

"Ahahahahahahaha!" The Ghoul Unohana laughed madly as she continued swinging her blade against Renji.

"This can't be true..." The Lieutenant thought in disbelief, as he was in his Bankai and he was being pushed to the limit. "Just what kind of monster is Captain Unohana?!"

"Renji, move!" Rukia warned, as she was going to attack the Reigai. "_Juhaku!"_

The Ghoul smirked as she felt the freezing wave coming out of Rukia's Zanpakutou, happy to be facing interesting opponents like them.

Evading a direct hit, she approached Rukia with the long sword, attempting to cut her in two with a single slash, as if the girl was a cake waiting to be sliced.

"Rukia!" Renji intercepted the blade with _Zabimaru_, just in time. "Damn, that was close..."

"You two have been fun, but still, you're nothing more than kids. You're gonna need a lot more than that if you intend to defeat me!" The clone spouted as it charged towards them with an unprecedented killing intent. Playtime was over.

With a slash like that, it was simple to hack their bodies, separating them into two lifeless pieces of flesh as blood spilled all over, covering her face and blade with the ruby fluid that she loved more than anything.

However, instead of feeling the metallic taste in her mouth, or the slightly warm drops falling on her skin, her Zanpakutou was stopped by an unexpected clash.

The sensation in her hand travelled through her nervous system in the fraction of a second, all the way to her brain, which immediately showed her a distant memory, one only possible to trigger by that special feeling. That feeling of being on the border of death. That feeling she had only experienced once, and yet, that was a memory of the original.

Still... The fact was unchanging.

The important part, is that said feeling was only possible to achieve when fighting that man.

"Hm? What's this... I thought you looked strong so I attacked ya but... I feel strange, as if I had fought you once before" Zaraki Kenpachi said after stopping the sword, having used his two hands.

A look of surprise became a grin of insanity in the Reigai's lips as she confirmed the sensation that was running through her body from the tip of her toes to the top of her head.

"At last... The only man I've ever loved...!" She licked her lips. "Our fight will be legendary!"

"Beats me. I don't know why the Hell I feel like this, you know anything, Yachiru?" He asked the pink haired girl as she got off his back.

"Nope!" She shook her head, although she was really serious inside, even a bit worried. "She might be a clone, but if she's like the real deal..."

"Come at me with everything you got!" She had forgotten completely about her previous enemies.

"Oi... Will Captain Zaraki be alright?" Renji asked Rukia, still panting due to the previous fight.

"He's considered a monster even among the Captains... So I believe he will" Rukia replied. "Besides, there's not much we can do, is there? If it wasn't for him, we would..."

"True..." Renji closed his eyes as he agreed. "It looks like we fulfilled our task anyways"

The bloodthirst was palpable in the air, as dense and thick as fog, sending chills down the spine of the two Lieutenants as they witnessed the beginning of a duel between the greatests beasts Soul Society had ever seen.

"Good! Straight to the action, I like that!" Kenpachi chuckled as he got his eyepatch out of the way, releasing all his might and shooking everyone in the ground's battlefield. "Now don't you dare disappoint me"

"I would never... After all these years... It's simply impossible" Her mad blue eyes shined with bloodlust and thirst for violence.

~~~~X~~~~

At the same time, the real Unohana was fighting alongside Chojiro and Mayuri against Ren.

"*yawn* Now, try to entertain me for a bit. I left my book aside just so you could have my attention, but I'm starting to regret it..."

Silver sickles were flying all over the place, greatly limiting the Shinigamis' movement. One wrong step and their throats would be slit, or in the best of cases, their bodies stabbed.

Chojiro used his lightnings to both deflect the sickles as well as attempting to attack Ren, achieving from little to no effect.

"Tsk...!" Mayuri lost an arm due to one of the flying weapons.

Unohana was about to direct a Healing Spell at him, but the Captain quickly refused.

"Don't even bother..." He injected himself with a tissue and muscle repairing serum, getting back his limb in seconds. "He's not the only one that's almost unkillable... Although, you would no better, wouldn't you?" He asked Unohana.

"There's no point in mentioning that now. Just the fact that I'm here should be enough, but... I'm afraid that this might be more than I can handle without having to stain my hands with blood"

"That's what I'm here for... Captain Unohana" Chojiro assured, using all of his might to both protect himself and his allies as well as attack Ren.

The Fallen Angel could easily deflect his attacks with the double-edged scythe however.

"You don't give up, do you? Well... Looks like I'm gonna have to use a portion of my _real_ power to show you the space between us, weather man" Ren said scornfully. "_Wrath of Kronos"_

Swinging the harvesting weapon, a dimensional slash of chaotic energy fragmented that space inside the Seireitei, leaving a distorsion inside the dimension's clear skies.

"Chojiro! Kurotsuchi!" Unohana shouted as thw two were in the line of fire.

"Shut up. Geez, the fact that you worry about me is almost disgusting" Mayuri bashed her. "Just how incompetent do you think I am?"

"I'm grateful for your concern, Captain Unohana..." Chojiro replied way more politely. "But as long as I can feel Captain Genryousai's burning soul... I won't allow anyone to extinguish mine"

Ren looked at the three, quite surprised, actually.

"Woah... It's been a while since a group has come unscathed after one of my powerful techniques. Interesting... Looks like there _were _amusing Soul Reapers in this day and age... It's what I would say if that was the case, but, you are actually from a previous era. I can see it with these eyes" His flame-like blue eyes shined through the skull mask. "Especially, you... Woman. What's wrong? Why are you restraining yourself? What do I have to do to let the beast out, huh? You can't lie to me... I can see it all"

Unohana stoically closed her eyes as she let her hair lose.

"Is that so...? What a pity" She got the feared Zanpakutou out of its sheath. "Looks like there's no choice... So we're to reduced to this"

"You love death and violence just as much as we do, am I wrong? Your soul radiates that wild aura"

"I'll let you judge..." Unohana appeared in front of him in a flash. "...By yourself"

The Zanpakutou quickly sliced the air in an intent to turn Ren to shreds, as reducing him to nothingness was the only way to possibly kill him.

Ren seemed to grin a slight bit as he was forced to block with the sickle, forced to focus on Unohana's movements.

"Yes, yes... This is what I wanted from the start. Those two clowns weren't nearly here... But you, YOU are a real Soul Reaper!" He praised, surprised.

"Coming from a legend like you I should feel important, right? How odd..." Unohana retorted, serious, as she was making a huge effort not to let her bloodlust get the best of her. "Bht I don't feel anything. I don't care about you... Maybe, because you haven't put me in real danger yet"

"Oh, how rude of me..." He slashed his scythe and created a huge demonic skull of Reiatsu that attempted to crush her with its jaws. "Let's ride 'til the edge of the Earth... Death"

A pale horse came galloping out of 'nowhere' (cause it was clear that its source was his Reiatsu), and Ren jumped on top of it, riding into the sky triumphantly as he created an orange orb of concentrated energy.

"Now let's go for something more... Apocalyptic" He said as he sent the sphere flying towards them.

"No!" Chojiro quickly identified the threat posed by such a technique.

"What a drag... It might take some time to get my body in place after something like this" Mayuri saw the same.

"This is... Unreal" Unohana could feel the pressure raging inside that sphere.

_"Defining Armageddon" _Ren unleashed the power of the ominous orb.

Just like the name implied, as soon as the energy exploded, the skies were shattered and the ground below was shaken, even without being in direct contact.

Everyone in the Citadel and the sky felt the pressure produced by that cataclysm of an attack, leaving a bitter taste due to thr uncertainty regarding their current battle.

~~~~X~~~~

Meanwhile in the Human World, the rest were surprised with the sudden apparition of Togabito, who were wreaking havoc across the land of the living.

"Yuzu, don't leave my side" Uryuu ordered the girl as she was under his care.

"Y-Yeah!" She nodded, worried.

"And don't even think about fighting. The only reason Ryuuken agreed to give you that Quincy Cross was so that you could learn to control your powers, but you are very far from being able to fight"

"I... I know..." She sadly replied, holding a Quincy Cross between her fingers, knowing how useless she was in a situation of real danger.

"Don't put that face, it bothers me" Ishida added. "You look just like Kurosaki when he was losing his powers... Look, I'm gonna make it clear to you, cause your big brother never understood this: You're not always meant to fight. Sometimes, the level of the enemy will surpass your own, and if you don't want to end up six feet under without accomplishing anything, you should follow my advice. I know it's tough, but it is the truth"

Yuzu, in spite of her young age, had her attention perfectly centered on him after he mentioned her brother, engraving those words in her brain so that she would never forget.

"I understand... Ishida-senpai!" She bowed.

"Sen...pai...? Whatever, now it's not the time to worry about the little things" Uryuu concluded, going to the nearest spot with a dubious reading of Reiatsu.

The situation was very similar with Chad, Isshin, Yoruichi, Tessai and company. Due to Karakura being situated on the current Juureichi.

"Hey, who are you and what the Hell do you want?" Isshin asked serious, with Karin behind him.

"Heheheh... I'm not _that _special" Kokutou replied calmly. "I'm just a damned soul who lost someone dear once... So now I'm gonna share this pain everywhere I go!" He charged against the Shinigami with his black sword.

"So you're the worst kind of bastard..." Isshin muttered as he got _Engetsu_ out of the sheath.

At the same time, Tessai and Yoruichi were going to face a powerful Togabito who attempted to burn everything to ashes.

"Ahahahahaha! I love this city... So much that I'll set it ABLAZE!" Shuren yelled triumphantly as he started setting fire to a park.

"I have no idea what you are... But I'm not gonna let you or your friends run loose, you hear me?" Tessai said, pointing his hand at him.

"And let me give you some advice" Yoruichi added. "Better start running, cause we'll put your little fire out as easy as a candle"

"We shall see... If you can say the same after being reduced to pieces of sorched flesh! YOU. WILL. BURN!" Shuren declared as he sent a barrage of blazing arrows towards them.

Chad himself was also dealing with the revolted evil souls that used to be punished in Hell, now free due to the latest events.

"_El Directo!" _He attacked a group, knocking them out in a single blow.

Such display of power made a special deceased Arrancar interested.

"Hey... You look familar, but more importantly, strong" He had his long tongue out as he savored the taste of battle.

"Hm? What the-" Chad remembered the Arrancar. He was the one that easily defeated him even after his power up, in Hueco Mundo during Orihime's rescue.

"Look at that. I forgot your name! You must've been too weak... But I can't deny there's something about your power I can somehow relate... C'mon, show me a good time!" Nnoitra pointed his weapon at the Fullbringer.

Chad felt afraid at first, as back then, he had been rendered useless by the Espada. However, things had changed. He wasn't the same weak Human, and he would prove that to himself right now.

"Careful what you wish..." He replied with determination, clenching his fists.

Kon and Nozomi stayed at Urahara's Shop, under the protection of Ururu and Jinta, although it wasn't really that big of a deal.

It turns out that only a handful of the Togabito were truly dangerous individuals, since most of them were already deranged beyond logical thought, so they were more like beasts and didn't boast a significant amount of power that could pose a threat.

But, aside from Shuren, Kokutou and Nnoitra, there was another pair...

"Who would've thought that we would get a chance like this one?" A well known pink haired Arrancar told his only company.

"It truly is a great opportunity..." Aaroniero replied with his low voice. "...To enjoy an all you can eat buffet!" The high-pitched sphere replied.

"Not only that... But I feel a rather familiar Reiatsu not so far from here..." Szayel smiled. "It seems we're almost the only ones... After all, Barragan and Ulquiorra were used by those Demons, while we were discarded due to our 'low' potential. How basic and simple-minded of them to leave a genius like I aside!"

"Whatever you say..." The high-pitched voice retorted carelessly. "...We'll just go ahead and feast!" The low voiced sphere of Aaroniero completed.

"*sigh* Yes, go do whatever pleases your being. I, on the other hand, will have to visit an old acquaintance of mine..." He concluded, using Sonido to move through Karakura.

As Uryuu finished off a horde of weaker Togabito, his eyes widened, feeling the presence of the scientist Espada in the area.

"No...! It can't be... Unless..." He didn't know how Jigoku worked exactly, but after knowing said Arrancar, he could easily deduce that an entity like that would end up in Hell for his crimes, either as Human or Hollow. "Yuzu"

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I'll take you back to your father. Turns out, this situation is more dangerous than I had imagined at the start" He explained.

"There won't be a need for that" A man retorted with a serious tone.

"Ryuuken!" Uryuu didn't feel his presence as he was too focused on Szayelaporro's.

"I'll take care of her. You go after those Arrancar. I can tell what kind of threat they are. You should call a friend, in fact"

"I'll see wether that's necessary" He replied about the last part. "But... Thank you"

"Let's go, Kurosaki" He told the girl.

"Y-Yeah, Ishida-san" She complied.

The two Quincies headed towards the Kurosaki House while Uryuu went to the source of the disgracefully familiar Reiatsu.

~~~~X~~~~

"What the...! How is he so damn strong?" Seku wondered as he barely defended himself from Satya's assault.

The Espada didn't fret as he continued the siege, waiting for the moment in which his sword touched the skin of the Fallen Angel, injecting the liquid nightmare he had embedded on his blade.

The other three continued facing the Sebitti. Lilynette was holding off three at once, while Bryssling and Ashido did the same with two, each.

Seku alternated between grins and faces of worry every second, mentally surpassed due to reasons he couldn't comprehend.

"Why...? Am I feeling...? So... Weak...?" His Reiatsu also started declining.

"Looks like you've figured out something's wrong" Satya could read his expression.

"W-What?!" He became bewildered by such certainty. "What did you do to me?!"

"Nothing" Satya told the truth. "You're doing this to yourself. You fought us with everything you have while still using that hideous spell on the Shinigami below us. Did you really think that an effort like that wouldn't take up its toll? How naive. No wonder you're the weakest of the Four Horsemen"

"Y-You...! You prideful mortal! You think this is over? You think you've won?! Don't make me laugh. All I gotta do is release the Plague to end you all for good!"

Satya smiled internally as he got what he wanted. With the Ghouls out of the way, one of the most troublesome odds they had against them as an alliance would be gone. All he had to do now, was make sure that he could beat Seku even after receiving that boost.

However, reality was a lot more complicated than the ideal flow of events that was in his head.

Seku snapped his fingers, commanding 'The Plague' to cease and come back as power for him.

From the citadel below, a giant surge of a disgusting green Reiatsu came to him, his power surpassing Satya's expectations, to his dismay.

"Hahahahahaha!" Seku giggled, his red irises glowing maliciously. "You're gonna regret this decision so much..."

"Dammit... I just hope I didn't fuck up, cause if that's the case... This could very well be the end" Satya thought, starting to worry about the Fallen Angel's new power.

~~~~X~~~~

Moments before the release of Seku's Spell...

"Now THIS is a real fight! That guy over there got me all fired up cause he looked like me... But in the end, it wasn't nearly as great as I wanted him to be" Kenpachi told Unohana's Ghoul Reigai.

"This has been so much fun for me as well... So why don't we take it up a notch?"

Shunsui and Juushirou had just ended their fights thanks to the aid of Renji and Rukia, who had decided to help them in their inability to continue fighting the brutally powerful Reigai.

"Hey, Kyouraku... You don't think she's possibly referring to...!" Ukitake said just after picking up the yellow Soul Candy that remained after his Reigai's doom.

Shunsui pulled his hat down in sign of worry.

"If that's the case... Even Captain Zaraki's as good as a dead man"

"Wait... What do you mean?" Rukia inquired, really upset by such an unbeliavable claim.

"Captain Zaraki is a Demon himself! Why would he-" Renji was also shocked.

"Because Captain Unohana is one of the most dangerous Shinigami in the history of the Soul Society. Zaraki might be a devil, but he doesn't have any real knowledge about his power" Kyouraku clarified. "She, in contrast, dominates both Kidou and her Zanpakutou completely. Even if that's a copy, I can assure you that we won't be able to do anything against it... Not without the help of Yama-jii or Captain Unohana herself"

The two Lieutenants stood in shock as they listened to the Captain's words.

The two Kenpachis clashed for one last time before the Reigai decided to use her full potential.

"Will you survive? Will you prove to me once again that you're the only man that can make me happy?" She giggled with that thought.

"What's wrong? Did you decide to go all the way already? Cause I am- No, I've always been ready for this moment" Zaraki grinned.

"Just like I would expect from you..." She licked her lips. "So shall it be..."

Zaraki's eyes were locked with hers as she pronounced the words.

"Bankai..."

Everyone stared at the woman in disbelief, still unable to imagine what kind of mess was about to take form in the battlefield.

However, just as she was unleashing the so feared power, her mind and heart became tremendously lighter, as if all darkness had escaped her.

"What is...? This sensation?" She wondered, not understanding what she was doing.

Kyouraku noticed the change in her, and decided to take the opportunity, taking advantage of the white Captain uniform.

"_Irooni: __Shiro!"_

Unohana's Reigai gasped as she was hacked apart by two swords at once.

"Why is... Everything... So... So... Dark...?" She wondered as everything became blurry and, slowly, went black, the sight of Zaraki Kenpachi being the last thing flashed into her eyes, reverting back into a blue Soul Candy.

"Oi! The fuck do you think you're doing?!" Zaraki growled at Shunsui.

"Sorry, Captain Zaraki" He apologized. "But all is fair in love and war"

"Tsk... Then you might as well take her place don't cha think?" He looked at him with clear murderous intent. "I was having fun, you know?"

"I won't discuss it anymore. You might think this is a game, but take it from me, this war is no child's play..." He retorted with a sigh. "Please understand"

"Ngh... Whatever. If there's no one strong to fight in this place, I'm getting the hell outta here" The 11th Division's Captain said, choosing one of the four powerful Reiatsu's in the sky. "That one will do..."

"Let's go Ken-chan!" Yachiru jumped on top of his shoulder.

"Wait, Captain, your injuries...!" Rukia wanted to heal him a bit at least.

"There's no time. See ya" He stomped the floor and got out in a flash.

"*sigh* Anyways... What happened that stopped the Reigai?" Ukitake wondered.

"Hey... I think you all need to see this" Renji pointed his finger at the masses, who were previously Ghouls.

"Looks like 'The Plague' has ceased" Shunsui said in relief. "One thing we won't have to worry anymore. Thank God..."

"*cough* *cough* I'd love to go help more people but... Looks like I'm in no condition to do so" Ukitake confessed, reaching his limit due to his poor health.

"And you're not the only one... All that fighting got me pretty beat myself. We should move everyone to a safe place for them to stay as they recover" Kyouraku replied.

"The 4th Division will do all it can to assist and secure the wounded, Captain" Isane arrived at the site.

"Captain Ukitake!" Kiyone and Sentarou arrived at the site too, ready to help their ill leader.

"A-And I came to help as well!" Orihime was running, Loly and Menoly not separating from her side.

"Wonderful" Shunsui nodded. "Let's start mobilizing the ones in need then. We'll leave the fighting to the ones in condition"

"Yes!" Everyone agreed.

~~~~X~~~~

"I... Can't even..." Lisa murmured, collapsing as her very Reiryoku was being absorbed by Mitsuyo's most powerful ability.

"Gh..." The rest was feeling the same way.

"What... Is this?" Kensei asked.

"This is the cycle of Ouroboros. **_Ragnarok_** will take all your Reiryoku and erase your current existence, but don't fret, you will return to the cycle as renewed souls, probably Human" Mitsuyo explained.

"That doesn't sound all that bad..." Shinji chuckled. "But... I'm gonna have to decline"

"Heheh... Me too. I already got a second chance... I won't allow you to rob me of that" Gin agreed.

The Fallen Angel chuckled at those replies.

"I admire your resilience, but I doubt you have any chance of escaping this. It is literally a black hole of Spiritual Energy. It won't spare any of it, except mine of course, and I have it pretty rough myself due to the sacrifice..." Mitsuyo retorted, pressing his wound to stop the bleeding a bit. "It's not like I'm gonna die, but this takes a lot of blood, you know?"

"Yeah, I know" A female voice answered, making everyone turn their head towards it.

"No way..." Rose and Love muttered at the same time.

"It is..." Lisa was out of words.

Shinji was shook as well, mute as he was still unable to grasp wether this meant the best or the worst of luck.

"You..." Was all that escaped his mouth.

Gin's eyes were fixated on the woman too, feeling especially uneasy, as he was the only one of this group who knew for certain what had occurred.

She was wearing a black Yukata with pink skulls and orchids painted as decoration. Instead of wearing it properly, she left the top open, showing a lot of cleavage as well as her shoulders, just like a Shinto goddess would.

Her teal hair was loose, just like always, but for some reason it looked wilder, with a shadowy aura to it.

On closer inspection, her right arm seemed to be tattooed, inked with what seemed to be a horned skull, surrounded by a black heart. Her nails were long like a vampire's, sharpened on purpose and painted black.

That way, she could proudly show her figure for the moment her loved one arrived. She couldn't wait to see him.

Dark Nelliel smiled at them all, in a way that seemed to be in the middle of friendly and sadistic.

"Everyone is so amused to see me, how lovely!" She exclaimed. "Sorry to make such a sudden appearance... But Ichi has taken quite long... And it's boring to just roam through that empty Castle, so I thought I could go out and see how things were going around here"

"Nelliel..." Mitsuyo muttered, also getting a feeling of danger out of the situation. "You... You aren't planning to do something crazy, are you? We're allies, remember?"

Everyone was astonished by that revelation.

"Huh? Why are you so scared, Mitsuyo?" She asked innocently. "You don't reeeally think I'd just go ahead and take advantage of your weakened state to end your pathetic life, do you? After all, we have a deal"

"Yes. Yes, exactly!" He chuckled nervously.

"And we also share a special trait in common, as you are a sadist, just like me" She noted. "So I believe you'll perfectly understand how alluring this sight is..." She licked her lips evilly.

"Y-Yeah... They are almost dead aren't they? Hahaha" He laughed, sweating cold bullets.

"Oh, I wasn't talking about them. I was talking about you" She clarified. "I find cute and all how you wanted to see their lives fading away slowly, but that doesn't really make the cut for me..." She started walking around, circling the Fallen Angel like a hungry vulture. "Blood, on the other hand... _That's_ what I really love... No, that's not right, is it? The only thing I can certainly claim to love is my dear Ichigo now that I think about it, so... Let's call it lust. I lust for blood... And that means..."

"You... Whore..." Mitsuyo insulted her as he realized where it was going.

"~kuhuhu~ You knew this would eventually happen, Mitsuyo, don't pretend you didn't" She stood in front of him, her bright yellow irises with reptile pupils staring deep into his soul through his blue eyes. "Maybe... You were an M all along, but you liked to pretend you were an S to look stronger. I don't really care" She got her Zanpakutou out of the sheath.

"No...!" He blinked multiple times quickly.

"All I want... Is to have some fun" She whispered in his ear, her breath warmly embracing him, yet choking him like a rope tied to his neck the next second.

Mitsuyo didn't know why, but he simply couldn't move.

If any of the Vizards or Gin had somehow fought back, he would've easily put them in their place. But this time it was different. He was paralyzed by the mere presence of the corrupted Queen of Hueco Mundo, defenseless against the torture she was about to carry out.

She cut into his body, once, twice, thrice... And so on. Each cut slower than the last, coldly calculated to ensure the most painful death possible, avoiding any important vein and artery in the Fallen Angel's body.

"Aah... Argh...! P-Please...!" Mitsuyo cried as the pain became unbearable.

"What? You want more? Gladly..." She grinned as she started stabbing him, blood spilling everywhere.

"EEEEEAAARRRGGHHHH!" Mitsuyo cried as his life was coming to an end.

The others were more than shocked by her behaviour, some sickened and others simply static as they witnessed the torture.

One thing was clear, at least for the ones who had already met her. That was not Nel.

"I see... So this is what happened to her" Shinji thought, seeing it with his own eyes.

"What? Feeling like dying already? Sorry but I cannot allow you to drop out just yet... I'm not nearly satisfied" She declared, healing some of his wounds with Kaidou to continue inflicting pain as his screams of agony fed her bloodlust even further.

After a third round pleasuring herself with Mitsuyo's grief, she decided to put an end to it, crushing each of the Fallen Angel's hearts with her sword, one by one.

He vomited the primordial ooze as his suffering reached its end, the sphere of Ragnarok disappearing along with his life.

"Ahh..." She moaned. "How delightful indeed"

The Vizards slowly recovered, getting their Reiryoku back, along with their Zapakutous' spirits.

"What... What are you gonna do?" Lisa asked her. "Cause if you're gonna play with us like you did with him, I'd rather kill myself right now"

"Eh? But I thought you knew me...! Do you...? Do you really think I'm that kind of person, Lisa-chan?" She seemed hurt by such question, but quickly dropped the act. "~kuhu~ I know what you mean, but don't worry. You are all dear friends of Ichigo... I don't want to harm those he cares about, or at least as long as they don't try to take him away from me" She looked straight into her eyes. "You would never do that... Right?" She gently passed her hand through Lisa's cheek, getting a shiver from the woman, despite the fact that she didn't have any intention of meddling in her relationship.

"So it is true..." Shinji spoke. "You DO care about Ichigo"

"But of course I do! Without him... Everything would be so damn empty and dull... It would be unbearable. That's why I'm going to make sure we become one for all eternity"

"And how do you plan to do that... If I may ask?" Gin wanted to hear it coming out of her lips.

"The only way we Hollows know, of course" She simply retorted. "I'll consume his being, completely. I won't leave anything out, not a single drop of blood, not a single bone... I will eat Ichigo's very soul!"

Almost everyone trembled as they heard that, understanding that the person they once knew was now gone.

"But... Nelliel, is that really the only way?" Gin dared to ask.

They all expected her to boil with anger as soon as such a question was formulated, but to their surprise, she took it quite well.

"Unfortunately..." She admitted. "...It is. As we are now, it is the only way in which we can possibly be together. This darkness... This negativity... It won't allow his soul to connect with mine like it did in the past. I'd sacrifice it all to feel that way..." She remembered the brief moment she had felt Ichigo's love that night.

"But then, can't you somehow sacrifice the darkness inside you?"

"I believe... I could" She confessed. "But then... Everything would be for naught. I can't risk that everything's lost because of my selfish wish" She spoke tenderly, completely different from the way in which she acted before. "I know I'm quite the egoist already... But I'm smart enough to know that said path is one where no one wins, or well... Not one of us"

"I see... That's too bad" Gin replied comprehensively.

"I won't deny it. But it is all we have..." She concluded. "You should go now... Otherwise, I might get the urge to harm you guys as well, and mark my words, I don't want to, I really don't. But in this state... I don't feel anything. Destruction lurks... Waiting to fill the void... Which is the reason I'm feeding it with these bastards instead of the people Ichi likes. I won't pretend I don't enjoy it either, but I know you guys don't have that impression of me..." She sighed. "Just... Go. I'll try to find a way to entertain myself until he arrives"

The group nodded, strangely calm despite witnessing the sheer utter brutality the woman enjoyed. Somehow, they could sense she was not going to hurt them. They even got the feeling that they could see a pair of hazel eyes for a moment, instead of those evil yellow ones, but in the end it was the same.

"Welp... You heard her" Shinji accepted. "Let's go. There's nothing else we can do here"

No one refuted that fact, following Shinji back into the Citadel.

Gin looked back for a moment, receiving a sincere smile in reply.

Whoever that Nelliel was, she wasn't like they believed her to be. Even inside that unfathomable haze of evil, shined the inextinguishable fire of her love, stronger than any other part of her being.

"I might be a monster..." She muttered to herself, crying. "But I promised... I promised I would always love you... Ichi..." She put her hands in her chest trying to feel the heartbeat that used to exist within her. "Always... Even after the day I die"

~~~~X~~~~

"This feeling... Mitsuyo somehow got himself killed" Seku thought. "Pfft... He clearly got it upon himself. How can someone like him lose, like, for real!"

While he did that, he carelessly attacked Satya, stabbing to purge dissimulation.

"Fuck... This got way more complicated than I would've wished for" The Espada thought. "Well... At least I saved trouble for the rest"

"_Mind Reflections" _Seku used an illusory ability.

Copies of him scattered across the sky, like shadow clones.

Satya dodged and destroyed most of them, but they didn't stop coming.

With sweat falling down his cheek, he continued slashing with the intention to hit the Fallen Angel out of luck, without getting results.

"It's over!" Seku grinned as the real him had an opening, right in Satya's back.

Bryssling was the only one who noticed the move.

"No, Satya!" He yelled as he got the two Sebitti that were fighting him out of his way.

With a _Sonido_ faster than anything he had ever used in his whole life, Bryssling managed to get in time to Satya's back.

However, there was no time for him to defend his partner properly.

Seku stabbed with his spear a myriad of times, hoping to see a dead Satya afterwards.

It was much to his surprise to realize that he had completely perforated the body of the 8th Espada instead.

"Br-Bryssling...?" The lilac haired Arrancar muttered in disbelief.

"Heheh..." He spat a lot of blood. "You said it yourself, Satya. I'm too old... But you've got a long life ahead of you *cough*"

"How moving. Who would think mere Hollows could go as far as to sacrifice for another? Looks like I've still got a lot to learn"

"I didn't fit in this new world anyways..." Bryssling chuckled. "Good luck, pal. And... If you see _her_... Just say I was glad to be at her service one last time" The last part referred to Nel.

"No way... No... Bryssling don't you dare die! You still have things to see, you are the one the Legion knows most... You can't... Leave us..." Seku finished by tearing him in two. "So easily..."

"Wow, you looked so cool and composed and now look at you... Despairing over a dead comrade? What a pussy!"

"Shut up!" Satya clashed against him with an unseen strength. "He might have been an idiot, but he was our friend! Who do you think you are?! Playing with people's lives as if they were your toys!"

"They were people? My whole life I thought mortals were just puppets for my entertainment! Ahahahahaha!" He felt cocky due to his power-up.

"Never again... Will you play with us" Satya declared firmly, determined to destroy him once and for all.

His sword was spitting the liquid fear everywhere as he sliced the air, trying to deal Seku a single cut.

In spite of his rage however, Seku was still a world above him. After all, he was merely an Espada with a single _Resurrección_. There was no contest. Unless...

"Move, kid!"

Satya was suddenly pushed away, staring in shock at the man that had just arrived.

"You... You are that guy who wanted to fight Grimmjow!"

"I'm busy here, shut up or get out!" Kenpachi told him.

"You're so rude, Ken-chan!" Yachiru scolded him.

"Get off, Yachiru. This guy is the real deal"

The Lieutenant did as he told her.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Seku seemed indignant.

"I came here to fight. You see, someone ruined the fun for me a while back, but that won't happen now..."

"You can't just barge into any fight! I'll teach you some manners..." Seku commanded the two free Sebitti to go after him.

Kenpachi destroyed them with a single swing of his Zanpakutou.

"W-What?!" Seku couldn't believe it.

"How... Did he...?" Ashido and Lilynette were also amused by that, as they had gone through a lot of trouble just to harm the guardians.

"Why is everyone so surprised? These things weren't better than those training dummies... Or at least that's what it felt like" Kenpachi didn't seem to care. "I don't know, I'm kinda fired up after my last opponent, so I'm ready to rip and tear anything that's in my way really"

"You... Freak" Was all Seku could say in reply, still unable to process how a mere Captain could pull off something like that. "No, no... These Arrancar must have weakened them, yes... That must be it... Otherwise, this sole Captain is a greater threat than these four Arrancar together" He thought, trying to find an acceptable explanation.

"Call me whatever the fuck ye want, but fight me with everything you got!" Kenpachi charged against him.

"Ahahaha! Very well then, I'll enjoy seeing you begging for your life!" Seku attacked with the spear, containing Kenpachi's blow very well, and in fact, having a slight advantage. "I knew it! He's just a Captain..." He thought, feeling calmer.

"Yeeaaahhhh!" Kenpachi put his other hand on the sword's handle, easily blowing Seku away with a single swing.

The Fallen Angel stared in shock as reality showed him how wrong he was to make that assumption.

"C'mon, we're not done yet, are we?" The Captain came once again.

For the first time in his immortal existence, Seku was frozen solid by fear, not comprehending how someone like Kenpachi could be a threat to him.

"No... This can't be...! A simple mortal like that can't possibly withhold this amount of power!" He thought, seeing in slow motion as the Soul Reaper approached him. "But then... What is this presence...? This latent sensation that I'm confronting a..." He could see the face of Kachiki. "...Demon?!"

"Satya...!" Lilynette and Ashido were still struggling against the Sebitti, but she called the 6th Espada's attention.

"What?" He quickly asked back.

The young woman pointed Seku with her eyes, as if saying 'Now's the moment'.

Satya nodded with decision, snapping out of his previous state, ready to put an end to the bastard.

Seku dodged Kenpachi in the last possible moment, truly afraid for his life for the first time, only to find an even greater fear.

The black liquid fell on top of him, producing a numb sensation that gave him shivers, as he barely evaded a direct slash.

"Y-You...!" Seku realized that Satya was back in the action.

"Sorry, Shinigami, but this was MY battle" Satya clarified.

"You have guts to insist" Kenpachi replied. "Fine, do as you wish, but don't complain if you get hurt for getting in my way"

"Likewise" Satya retorted, indicating that Zaraki was under the same conditions.

Seku's lip trembled a bit as he saw himself in a dangerous scenario.

A man who could kill him in one blow and an Arrancar that could render him useless in one slash.

"Dammit!" He pressed his hands on the pole of his spear, trying to build up strength to win against the two.

Despite his superior speed and strength, his lack of skill in combat was a real disadvantage, especially now that Kenpachi had joined the drill.

Blow after blow, Seku saw himself in a tighter spot, unable to counter in an efficient way as he would've liked.

"Is that all?! What a joke" Kenpachi spat with bother.

"Grr... _Mind Reflections!"_ He tried using the same trick.

Kenpachi however, simply slashed his way frenzily through all the fake copies of the Fallen Angel, while Satya carefully analized the field to find the real one.

"Bingo" He smirked.

Seku, in shock as Kenpachi rendered his strategy useless, didn't even see the Espada coming.

"Ga... Wh-What the-"

"That's for Lily-nee"

Stabbed in the back with the long sword, the Horseman felt how a cold liquid entered his self.

"E-Eh?!" He muttered in shock.

"And _this_ is for everyone else you've used. Enjoy it. **_Pesadilla_**_..." _Satya said as he induced him the punishment of the fear produced by his blade.

Unlike _Velo de Maya,_ this technique immersed the enemy into a world of inescapable cold, pain and fear.

Seku's worst nightmares became a reality in half a second, not yet understanding how that had happened.

"I was... Stronger...!" He thought as the shadows of his own terror engulfed him.

In the real world, shaking in place and spitting white foam through his mouth, it all ended as he was hacked apart by Kenpachi's Zanpakutou.

His suffering would not end there, as his consciousness was not on pair with the physical world in terms of time, so a sempiternal nightmare was all that awaited him. Seku, 'The Plague', ceased to exist, paying for the awful things he had done to those he believed to be inferior, and yet were the same ones who achieved his downfall.

The Sebitti turned into dust, along with the end of their master.

~~~~X~~~~

Opening his electric blue irises with black scleras, Grimmjow stood with sheer determination in his _Etapa Final_, not taking his eyes off Kento after what he did to Harribel.

"G-Grimmjow...! You...!" She murmured with difficulty as he held her.

His hair had changed a lot. While in _Segunda Etapa_, it had the same colour as his previous forms, here, it changed into a bleach white colour, becoming a slight shade of blue with jaguar spots as it reached the end, at his knees. Also, he grew a white and blue striped tail in addition to his already existing black and blue one.

His stripes now alternated between white, black and blue, both on his legs and his arms, and all shared the characteristic jaguar marks on the white fur. His hands were completely black, with long blue nails that made his fingers like daggers.

Through his chest, black and blue stripes also apppeared, though these weren't of fur, and in looks, he had the perfect proportion between muscles and a good-looking appearance, not looking grotesque, in fact, Harribel was enthralled by him.

"Yes, Tier..." He replied softly, smiling. "And it's all thanks to you. You're the only thing in this world that I ache to protect. The only reason I would go against my impulsive need to destroy..."

"Grimmjow..." She smiled tenderly, wanting to kiss him so hard... But it wasn't the moment for that. "I'll reward you later... For now, I'm feeling better. Let's put an end to all this"

"That's the woman I fell in love with" He chuckled, putting her back on her feet, and right away noticing two knuckles embedded with electric blue Reiatsu. "Wait, these are..." He retracted his long nails to wear them.

He smiled with joy as the name of his Final Weapon resonated in his head.

_"Kaiser..._ There couldn't have been a better one" He thought to himself, associating that with his desire to become King. "Hey, Tier, are you sure that-"

"Don't worry, I already got my breath back" She ordered _Megalodon_ to return to her hand. "I bet this is what Ulquiorra was referring to when he said he had a plan"

The Primera joined them, silently agreeing with her.

"I know... And for that, I'll tear him to shreds later!"

"Hmph, don't make me laugh" Ulquiorra retorted. "You might have reached that stage, but I'm the one who knows it most, as I was the first to obtain it, and in spite of that, I've done a great effort in order to be worthy of calling myself Primera Espada, so you can dream on, Grimmjow"

"We'll see about that..." Grimmjow didn't give up.

"Ugh... Are you done already? I'm tired of killing time over here" Kento said. "Especially when I see you all so fired up. It looks like I'm gonna have to go serious this time..."

The trio of Espada smirked as they felt like there was a chance.

"No need to rush, sucker" Grimmjow spat as he appeared behind him in a flash, quicker than Kento could even perceive.

The pain was the only indicator that he had been wounded, feeling Grimmjow's lacerating knuckles carving into his skin with a brutal strength and speed.

Kento quickly reacted, producing an expansive wave of explosions out of his body to force Grimmjow to step back.

As Grimmjow returned with his companions, the Primera Espada chuckled.

"Killing time, huh...? Are you sure it's not time that's killing you?" Ulquiorra replied philosophically

"Those tricks won't work on me. First, cause I don't give a shit! And second... Well, on second thought... I guess I win, cause I'm immortal!"

"We'll put that to the test if you don't mind" Harribel retorted, preparing her cannon like arm, the other two following, Grimmjow with his both hands and Ulquiorra with his horns.

"_Cero Luna!!!" _The three did in synchronization.

Kento used his powerful claymore with both hands to try to block the full-power attack, but to his surprise, it was way more powerful than he imagined.

"Ho...? How surprising!" He seemed fired up by that revelation. "Maybe I WILL be able to use my pride and joy after all..."

"Be careful..." Harribel warned her companions, receiving nods in reply.

"Heheh..." He chuckled. "You Arrancar truly are a joy to confront. You show barely any hesitation, and jump into battle in an even more natural way than eating or sleeping" He spread the blood that was coming out of his hands. "Despite my last efforts, you made me bleed... That's simply wonderful" He couldn't be any happier. "It's time to rise up... It's time to rise for war... It's time to rise up... BLACK IS DEATH! AND RED IS WAR!"

"Here he comes!" Ulquiorra warned as he saw the Fallen Angel charging towards them.

"_**War Cry**!" _Kento said as his sword became charged with the fire-like Reiatsu, becoming a colossal blade that scorched and blew everything it touched to bits.

"That is simply more than we can handle just by attacking..." Ulquiorra analyzed. "Harribel, Grimmjow, I'll create an opening. You two have the duty to end this, now. No second chances, no failing, understood?"

The two looked at him amazed for an instant, in disbelief that he could stop such an attack, but did as he ordered without further thought.

"Yes!"

"Orihime... I hope it's not inconvenient, but I'm gonna have to borrow a share of your power once again..." He said as he focused his mind and heart into using the barriers of his Whole. "_Negación Total"_

A dark green force field covered by a golden-yellow mantle rose, not simply blocking Kento's attack, but dissolving it into nothingness as it came into contact with Orihime's Reishi.

"What the-" The Fallen Angel couldn't believe it. He had never seen his best attack so easily countered.

Without any second thought, Harribel and Grimmjow took opposite sides to trap Kento in a wall of death made by their greatest techniques.

"_**Marea Negra**" _Harribel created the black water Tsunami with help from _Megalodon._

Grimmjow was still getting used to his new power, but instinctively knew that he would have to use his new weapon to make the most out of it.

He charged _Kaiser_ with an electric blue Reiatsu, as powerful as the Catatumbo lightning.

He waited for the moment in which Kento was trapped in Harribel's wave, slammed by the unbearable pressure her black water witheld, like that of the ocean's abyssal depths.

As soon as the cataclysmic attack swallowed Kento, Grimmjow released the power he had been charging and focusing his whole being into.

"_**Destructor**!"_ He sliced the air with his _Kaiser _knuckles, freeing the unrestrained power.

A barrage of white, black and blue slashes, each of the size of a full _Desgarrón_, and charged with electricity, coalesced with Harribel's Tsunami, making the annihilating combo the couple had been perfecting over their training in the Dangai and afterwards.

As the attacks entwined, the gigantic mass of water was melted by the heat of the voltage, exploding like a humongous geyser.

The three Arrancar were panting, having used a lot of their Reiatsu in that final combo, barely standing on their feet.

Grimmjow smiled at Harribel, telling her just with the look how magnificent her attack had been.

The moments of joy were to end quickly however, seeing as the shadow beneath the burning vapor was still on his feet, although it had lost his centaur-like form.

"Ha... Ha..." He panted. "Damn, that was a rough Onsen if I've ever seen one, heheh... But don't think this is over! War never truly ends, unless one of the parties ceases to exist completely!" He grabbed the claymore, now cracked by the previous attack, and pointed it towards them. "Death... Blood... It won't ever end! This is WAR ETERNAL!"

The sound of blazing steel cutting through meat was heard immediately afterwards, but it wasn't from any of the Arrancar.

Instead, Kento fell to the ground, in pieces of scorched flesh.

"What an unpleasant being you were... And that big mouth only made you worse. You can't even take my _Corte Infernal_ and yet you believed you could carry on an eternal war... Pathetic"

The three Arrancar tried to mutter a sound, but they were mute.

Harribel though, with tears in her eyes ran towards her anyways.

"N... N... Nel-sama!"

She wanted to hug her, she ached to feel her warmth, all because she desired to prove that her friend was still alive.

"TIER, NO!" Grimmjow yelled, knowing it was a terrible idea.

Dark Nelliel giggled as she joyfully received Harribel in her arms.

"Wow... Now _this _is a surprise" She said. "Are you by any chance... Unafraid of me? Or maybe, you are just foolish..."

"Nel-sama... I... I heard what happened but... I know... I know you would never betray us!" Harribel replied, weeping in her master's shoulder. "I'm so glad to see you again..."

"Oh, Harri... It makes me so happy hearing that" She sweetly said. "And that's why... I want you to accept this little gift" She whispered as she stabbed her in the back with her sword.

"Fuck..." Ulquiorra muttered.

"TIERRRR!!!" Grimmjow yelled in a mixture of fear and anger as he rushed towards his love.

Dark Nelliel smiled at her as she pulled the sword out, Harribel collapsing.

"Nel... sa...ma..." She gasped, falling unconscious on her shoulder, a bit due to the pain, but almost entirely because of the emotionally breaking development.

The blonde returned to _Primera Etapa_, her power being focused on regenerating her body after such a wound.

Dark Nelliel stuck her tongue out to taste the blood in her Zanpakutou.

"Hm... This taste is not nearly close to _his_... But it's still a delicious harvest" She licked her lips. "Thank you, Harri, now my Zanpakutou is clean of that filthy swine's blood. You are indeed a true friend..." She caressed the Espada's head with a malicious tenderness.

"You... You...!" Grimmjow went right at her, but she knew how to stop such an unnecessary quarrel.

"Catch" She threw the Espada at him, forcing him to do as she commanded. "There's still time, so please, don't be an impulsive fuck like always and get the hell outta here. Same goes for you, Ulquiorra"

The new Cuarta whimpered as he held her beloved.

"Tsk... Why? She looked up to you! She idolized you" Grimmjow spouted. "SHE FUCKING LOVED YOU!"

"Take this as a warning... I don't want anyone to interfere in my encounter with Ichigo, is that clear?" She turned her back on him. "As for why...? Easy" She smirked. "Because she's my best friend"

"W-What...?" Grimmjow couldn't make any sense out of it.

"You see... Ichigo found her attractive, and I can't bear the thought of him thinking about any woman other than me... So to clear my consciousness, I thought a little punishment would suffice. It's better than having to kill her, don't you think?" She put the blade back inside the sheath.

Grimmjow's words escaped his lips out of pure rage.

"You're one. Insane. Bitch"

Dark Nel laughed at his answer.

"I know ~kuhuhu~" She didn't even look back as she retorted. "I'm that and much more for my dear I-"

~~~~X~~~~

The two Uraharas were engaged in a fierce combat, one that made their whole surroundings shake.

"Hadou 90:_ Kurohitsugi" _The Reigai casted the spell.

"Hadou 90 (Another): _Shirohitsugi!" _Urahara countered.

The two forces of Darkness and Light converged violently into a chaotic explosion, making the two lose their hats.

"Woah, would you look at that... It seems we're going nowhere with this" Urahara said.

"You really think so? I'd say you're the only one in trouble, looking at that half-cooked Hadou you designed there" The Reigai replied.

"That's quite cheeky coming from someone who didn't get even half the power of a true _Kurohitsugi__" _Urahara chuckled.

"Oh, really? Why don't we take things up a notch then?" The Reigai got serious.

"Do as you wish" Urahara retorted calmly, but was actually worried. "Dammit... He clearly has his Spiritual Pressure capabilities boosted. If he tries what I think... I might not come out of this without a scratch. But then again, I have no choice but to try"

"Let's end this in the best way possible..." The Reigai smirked. "Hadou 99..."

"Well, here goes nothing" Urahara sighed, feeling in his skin how dangerous that was.

"...Goryu-"

The Reigai was stopped in the middle of the action, a torrent of blood spilling out.

"It can't be...!" The Reigai muttered as it saw the attacker.

The body fell into two different pieces that diagonally separated the torso, turning into a crimson soul candy.

Urahara looked at the scene with amusement, grinning as soon as he realized the identity of his savior, who stood right in front of the Soul Candy.

An Arrancar in a white skulls armour and with black draconic wings stood, a dragon's skull covering his head.

"I see you made it back..." Urahara chuckled as he searched for the pill Nageki had given him earlier. "...Kurosaki-san"

~~~~X~~~~

The two froze as Dark Nelliel stopped right in her tracks.

"Oh my God... I can't believe it!" She started screaming with a frantic joy.

"Don't tell me..." None of the two could feel it, but they knew what such behaviour could only mean.

"He's here..." Dark Nel concluded, anxiety consuming her as she scratched her neck between gasps. "My beloved Ichi is finally here...!"

"Ichigo...?" The two muttered, wondering what they would find.

"She could be wrong, or lying..." Ulquiorra thought. "However, I won't be playing games with her, that's for sure" He decided. "Grimmjow, we need to go. I'll tell Orihime to heal Harribel, so rest assured. There's nothing else we can do here"

Grimmjow bitterly agreed with his superior.

"Very well..." He sprinted through the air, going back to the ground.

~~~~X~~~~

In the aftermath of the explosion produced by Ren's attack, Mayuri and Chojiro laid unconscious on top of the released form of Minazuki, wounded, but still alive.

"Hm? That's not your Shin'uchi-" Ren noticed.

"It's called Bankai nowadays, and no... It's just my Shikai, as my true power won't be necessary" Unohana simply replied.

"You are an outstanding healer, I must say. That attack would've easily erased even a Captain. The way in which you constantly healed them out of the afterlife is really amusing"

"Thank you, now if you'll excuse me, I must go... I believe you can take care of this, right?" Unohana asked the man that had just arrived and was standing by Ren's side.

She couldn't lie to herself, when she had felt his presence at first, she was really worried. In spite of that first impression, the calm aura he had along with the familiar Reiatsu she could perceive gave her all the answers she needed.

Ren looked at him too, truly smiling for the first time in their battle, showing that he wasn't a blank slate as he appeared.

"Kurosaki Ichigo... That aura you have, I would never mistake it" Ren said. "You see, we are two sides of the same coin..."

"Captain Unohana, go as far as you can, and tell everyone on the ground to stay there. I'll take care of the rest" He declared, his voice sounding a bit distorted due to the skull.

"Sure... Actually, I'm glad that you came but... Shouldn't you have gone to take care of...?"

"Urahara told me you would need help and that the old man was already taking care of that along with Nageki and Arikado so... Let me, I'll end this quickly" He retorted. "And also... I've got another thing to take care of, in fact, I wanted to do that as soon as possible, but... Something tells me I won't need to try so hard in order to find _her_..."

Unohana didn't seem to understand the last part, but complied with his decision and left with the other two Captains.

"Very well then..." Ren seemed eager, despite his calm tone, as he was quickly moving his fingers along the stick of his Scythe. "Shall we start? Cause I might not show it, but I've been dying to prove something"

"I'm not in the mood right now. If you wanna die, just go ahead and try me. If you still wanna live, turn your back and leave this place. I've got no interest in you"

"Kekeke... Cold, aren't we? I mean... I am a God of Death... Just like you... I thought you'd be more interested in proving-"

"Fine. I'll destroy you. No, I'll erase you completely from existence so you can be happy with that fact. Sounds like a good deal?" Ichigo spat back, pissed beyond normal levels.

As it turns out, Ichigo felt a sheer emptiness inside him, as the power he had obtained came along with the primal void of the Hollow race, just like it had happened the first time he had gone into _Resurrección_, but now...

He was alone.

He was miserable.

He was...

H O L L O W

* * *

**Damn man, university is a piece of shit when you wanna dedicate to art, but that's life for ya, it sucks.** **Even so, here you go, longest Chapter to date! (Although it's mostly stuff you probably don't care much about lol, but it's necessary for the right progression of the story).**

**Anyways, Ichigo has finally returned to end this once and for all (and I recommend you hear my mix between Ba13 and Chokkaku for that matter, titled "Shiro Sagisu - Ichigo, A True Hero" on YT) and Nel is back too... Though not as the sweet girl we know****, but that's another story.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Very good chapter! Loved this! Nuff said. Lol_**

**Reply: Thank you.**

**kbnsr: _This is such a great story! I'm so happy I found it. Which imo is hard to do in the Bleach fandom for some reason. I can't wait for Ichigo's return! And here's to hoping you'll decide to continue on w a sequel once this one is over. With the amount of world building you've done here, it would be incredible! (also, more IchiNel fluff, I saw what you did there mentioning children. Though Ichigo should remember telling the others before they get a whole generation of oops!babies lol)_**

**Reply: Thank you so much! I really hope more people end up finding this story and sharing their thoughts. For the success it has had, I believe I am going to continue, but I'm gonna take a little rest in order to read TYBW and CFYOW properly. I'm glad you like the IchiNel fluff, I have a blast writing it. The fact that they can have kids is just a little clarification, so that Wholes can have families in the future, but don't worry, the most cautious couples won't be in trouble for a long while.**

**See you guys next Chapter, where we'll see a bit of who exactly Ren is, and of course... The resolution of Dark Nel and Ichigo. Evhron out.**

**Glossary:**

**_Pesadilla: _Nightmare**

**_Negación Total: _Total Denial. Combination of Ulquiorra's _Barrera Negación_ and Orihime's barriers.**

**_Destructor: _Destroyer.**

**_Catatumbo Lightning: _A phenomena in Venezuela that consists of practically endless lightning storms and produces lots of ozone.**


	42. Undying

"It's so sad that you don't show even a slight interest in this encounter. Can't you see that this is a battle to decide who the REAL God of Death is?" Ren seemed insulted by his attitude.

"I told you before, I couldn't care less!" Ichigo moved his hand like as if he slashed the air, creating white and red slashes that matched a sky-dividing Getsuga Tenshou.

The Fallen Angel used his scythe to divide the attacks, coming unscathed.

"You might act pretty cool, but you're not that amazing, you know?" He pointed his scythe at him. "So you better drop the edgelord act and start taking this seriously, otherwise you'll see yourself in the afterlife before you notice"

"*sigh* Why me...?" Ichigo facepalmed with bother, practically teleporting to Ren's side as he used a real attack from his horns after covering them in blood with his hands. "_Gran Rey Cero: Luna Llena"_

Ren was left with his mouth open as a gigantic _Cero_ of a blinding white light was shot at point blank range, engulfing him.

Even with his ridiculously hard skin and using his scythe to block most of the attack, his body suffered great damage.

Sure, this didn't mean much to him in emotional terms, as his body was "dead". As a result, there was no pain, but he knew that he could be reduced to dust if he was careless.

Ichigo's analytical thought was on another level due to his lack of emotions, quickly deducing what his adversary's power was like.

"Then this is your special ability" He said. "You are just like a pile of bones"

"Yes, my Deathmask Divine gives me that quality... But, it's so funny, I mean, hearing that from an empty Hollow like you" Ren retorted with a chuckle.

That claim made him burn with rage.

"Empty...!"

Ren's grin disappeared as he started feeling the abysmal power emanating from him.

"Hey this can't be real..." He thought.

"IT IS YOUR FUCKING FAULT THAT I'M EMPTY!" He charged towards him, creating the black blade of Reiatsu and merging it with Zangetsu. "_Mugetsu!"_

_Meanwhile, on the ground..._

"This power..." Urahara could tell from the Citadel. "I see... That's the level you're at right now" He grinned. "A level in which using that technique is almost as natural as doing a full-fledged _Getsuga Tenshou... _Fascinating, Kurosaki-san_"_

_Back in the sky:_

"Geez... You're no fun" Ren said as he created a skeletal arm to replace his original one, lost in that single attack.

He had been tossed as far as to the Castle in the Sky, a couple kilometers away from his original spot.

Of course, 'Death', the horse, was gone, obliterated by Ichigo's attack.

"Do I look like I came to party or something? Give me a break" He said coldly as he stood in front of him, on top of one of the towers.

"Keke... You might think you've won, but we've only just began" He rolled his Scythe and his body originated an expansive wave of black and purple Reiatsu. "**_Tornado_** **_Of Souls_**_"_ The Scythe exploded into a dark purple hurricane that surrounded them, which started spreading black roses all around their battlefield.

"What is this? Another joke of yours?" Ichigo said without caring, ready to destroy him.

As soon as he moved, however, he noticed that his body started bleeding.

"What the-" He seemed worried for the first time in the battle, as he was not healing.

"Kekekeke... It looks like the thorns of my roses have reached you" Ren chuckled proudly.

"What do you mean?"

"You see... I am a scavenger of human sorrow. Mortals are designed from birth to perish under my will" He revealed. "You seem to have a lack of comprehension regarding my being... So let me ask you a question. Who do you think, took care of dealing with souls before the Seireitei existed? Before the Soul Reapers came to be born?"

Ichigo only then understood the gravity of facing that Horseman, his eyes widening behind the skull.

"Exactly" Ren continued. "I alone, had the power to pull souls out of mortal bodies, and, if given permission, immortal ones as well. The Shinigami you know were designed after me, and are merely a worn down version of what I AM. Also, unlike my fellow Horsemen, who now rust in peace... I am a God. THE God of Death. Born of Amaterasu and Susano'o"

"That means you also are...!" Ichigo remembered a couple words Tsukoyomi had told him during their last battle.

_"Ichigo... I need to ask you a favor" He said as their two black swords of Reiatsu clashed._

_"Yeah? What is it?"_

_"__You see... Sorayama's true identity... Is that of my only son by blood. The only fruit my love with Amaterasu gave... Before my jealousy and insecurity turned her love into hate"_

_Ichigo stood in shock as he heard that confession._

_"Are you telling me that... That's the reason he hates Mugetsu so much? And me as a result?!"_

_"I am afraid that, yes. I could never be there for him... And the fact that he became so twisted is probably due to that as well... As being the son of a banished God like I, was unforgivable for the God race. It wouldn't surprise me that they treated him badly because of that..."_

_"But... If you knew all that, then why...?!"_

_"Because it was her decision. Amaterasu said... That I had no right to have any contact with him. In fact, he wasn't supposed to know who was his father... But I know time made sure he learned that in the end, but it was too late"_

_"Too late?" Ichigo inquired, putting the sword away to only listen._

_"I had already sealed myself away. Disassembled my Soul to create three things: my Heart, Las Noches... And Mugetsu, thus creating a rule that would bound all lost souls to become Hollows so they could search for completeness. Mugetsu was the first, cause he was destined to become their guide, just like you have done today" He explained. "But going back to Yama... He won't stop, until he sees everything that mocked him reduced to nothing"_

Ren chuckled, surprised to see Ichigo was so well-informed.

"Looks like you've done you homework" He praised. "Yes, I am Yama's half-brother, just like you"

"I am not Tsukoyomi's son" Ichigo declared, serious. "I am son of Kurosaki Isshin and Kurosaki Masaki"

"That might be your identity as a mortal, but your soul is the same as Mugetsu's, and your true nature, hahaha..." He seemed ecstatic. "...Is that of Death itself! Just like mine!"

"Tch..." Ichigo frowned as he decided not to move.

"Good, it seems you understand. As your origin as a mortal is still bound to your soul, you will perish with every move of your body" Ren explained his power. "The souls of this vortex will absorb your Reiryoku until you become one with them, losing your corporeal state AND your individuality!"

"Shit... What can I do?" He asked himself.

"I know flesh and the power it holds really well, just like I know its weakness..." Ren chuckled. "Meet your end, King of Hollows"

"Ngh..." Ichigo grinded his teeth, trying to find a way out.

"Kekeke... If only I could see the despair inside that skull... But it doesn't matter. In the end... I proved the fact. The fact that I am the only one worthy of being called Death!"

Ren started walking towards Ichigo, readying his Scythe to take his life while he was defenseless.

"This can't be real... Am I really that pitiful? That helpless? That useless?!" He wondered, bashing himself. "Am I just gonna die without even seeing her?!"

"Kekekekeke... Ahahahahahah" Ren laughed, delighted by that conclusion.

But then, it all became clear.

"No... I refuse" Ichigo murmured.

"Huh?" Ren heard it.

The Arrancar started walking towards him, raising his spiritual pressure.

"I can't die. I promised I would bring her back" He said as he walked, the pressure starting to dissolve the tornado. "I shall not rest, I shall not fold, I'll use my love to guide me home..."

"Impossible...!"

"Your eyes... Like beacons they guide my way..." Ichigo's Reiatsu nullified the technique.

"Fuck... He found out" Ren grinded his teeth.

"To the Castle in the Sky!" Ichigo said as the power was rendered useless, and was about to disappear.

Of course, Ren's power was practically invincible, but that only applied to anyone weaker than him. Ichigo, was not one of those cases, at all.

By going to the limit, his Spiritual Pressure far surpassed that of the Fallen Angel.

"How ironic... Looks like even Death won't be able to kill me" He pointed his finger to the sky. "Or maybe..."

Ren whimpered as he realized what had happened.

"Now I have become Death... The destroyer of worlds" Ichigo proclaimed as he created a sphere of pure black energy, even more compressed than the attack known as _Mugetsu_, yet mixed with the white Hollow Reiatsu that created attacks like _Cero Luna__. "**Eclipse**** Anular**"_

"No... That's not true... It's unreal!" Ren babbled bewildered. "I'm not afraid of anything... I... I cannot die! I. Am. Death! I am...!"

"...Dead" Ichigo replied as he threw the sphere at him.

The dark orb surrounded by a white halo consumed a great amount of light around it, darkening the sky and making it seem like a bright night, one that's only illuminated by the moonshine.

It flew through the air with a distorting aura around it, pulling Ren's body towards it regardless of his efforts.

"No... No... What is this?!" He yelled uncontrollably. "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!"

"Yes... That's how I felt back then..." Ichigo smiled under the skull. "In fact... I think I felt worse, cause you cannot feel pain, can you...? Oh, my bad" He sliced the air with his hand, shattering the skull-like mask in Ren's face.

"No! My Deathmask Divine!" He despaired, as blood started flowing again, just like the pain that was about to take place in a moment.

"All your claims turned into worthless lies" Ichigo chuckled bitterly. "Empty words are not enough, are they? Your mouth should be boarded up"

"NGGGGAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" Ren screamed as it touched him.

As soon as that happened, it started shattering his body, absorbing his very existence and swallowing it into oblivion.

Ichigo exited his _Segunda Etapa, _as the feeling of emptiness had become more than he could handle after using such an attack, returning to his base form.

Panting a bit, and restoring his body, he looked at the pill Urahara had given him.

_"Is this what I think it is?" He asked the Shinigami._

_"Yeah. Eat it" He replied._

_"What do I have to do after that?"_

_"Easy..." The man smiled. "Just give her what she wants"_

Ichigo swallowed the pill, not yet understanding the meaning behind those words.

He walked through the Castle, trying to find a clue that would guide him towards her, to no avail.

"Your body is my temptress, your being is a must... I cannot live! Another day without you...

I'd give it all for just one touch! To see your face... To feel your lust... Calling me"

Sighing with a deep sadness, he closed his eyes, trying to see the face of his beloved to gain strength.

That glimpse.

That fugacious thought.

That transient sensation.

It was all followed by a pair of arms that embraced him from behind, sending a shiver his mind couldn't process correctly, leaving him voiceless.

"Finally..." Her voice whispered in his ear. "You finally returned to me..."

~~~~X~~~~

The Human World was at full chaos as the tortured souls of Hell ran aloof carrying mischief everywhere they went, but that wasn't the main problem.

The main problem was...

"_Gran Rey Cero!" _Nnoitra, now in his _Resurrección,_ attacked Chad with a giant yellow beam.

For Chad it would've been pretty easy to just dodge, but he had to protect the surroundings of the Human World, so he took it head on.

"Hahahahaha! You just warriors are the most ridiculous, always protecting the most useless things!" Nnoitra laughed. "If something needs to be protected it's clearly too pitiful to deserve a life!"

And in that moment, it hit him.

_"Nelliel... I've been rather adamant about my disdain for you..." Nnoitra said with bother. "So you mind... Telling me why you stick to me like my friggin' shadow?!"_

_She looked at him with an unquestionable superiority._

_"Simple... You're weaker than me"_

Chad came out of the attack, clearly wounded, but not nearly defeated.

"A beast like you would never understand..." The Fullbringer said seriously.

"A... Beast...?!" Nnoitra bouled with rage.

"Only a just warrior would comprehend the nobility of protecting those weaker than oneself" Chad declared.

"HHRRAAAGHHH!!!" Nnoitra charged right in with his four scythes slashing everything around him. "I'm a warrior! I'm powerful! I'm stronger...!"

"_La... Muerte" _Chad simply attacked, going through the Arrancar's bestial offensive without any further trouble.

Nnoitra fell to his knees as his body was covered in blood, one of his horns being broken.

His feeling of defeat was worsened by a sensation of Reiatsu escaping his body.

"W-What... What is...!" An explosion of yellow gas surprised Chad, who looked with curiosity what had occurred.

In the floor, laid a kid Arrancar of black hair, a Hollow Hole in his eye and a single horn.

"Kgh... I feel..." He complained with a childish voice. "So... Fucking... Weak..."

"Hm? Could this be...?" Chad wondered, relating that situation to Nel.

"So this is what it felt like..." The kid Nnoitra realized, his life fading away as he bled to death. "Eh... Nelliel?"

On the other flanks of the battlefield, Isshin, Tessai and Yoruichi had defeated their enemies and left them alive, as that way they would be able to return to their respective punishment in Jigoku, instead of simply going back to the Soul Cycle.

Byakuya and Renji had gone to the Human World too, learning of the difficult sitiation they were facing.

"Captain, are you going alone?" He asked as they arrived.

"I believe we're both strong enough to handle this by ourselves, and we cannot ignore the fact that there is already a handful of qualified Shinigami in the area... But as expected, even under a crisis like this, Soul Society can't turn a blind eye"

"Ah... I agree" Renji felt the presence of the diseased 8th Espada he had fought. "Eh?!"

"Did something happen?" Byakuya inquired.

"I felt... As if there was someone I knew here, an enemy"

Byakuya closed his eyes as he analyzed the possibilities.

"The report said that there were Arrancar among the Togabito that invaded this realm. The chance of encountering diseased Espada and Números is a very plausible scenario" The Captain replied. "Don't lower your guard, Renji"

"Yes, Captain"

On his part, Szayelaporro had gone directly to encounter not an enemy, but a previous acquaintance.

"At last, we meet again..." The diseased Espada said to an Arrancar girl. "Roka"

"Sz...! Szayelaporro-sama!" The girl was astonished, yet somehow happy to find her master. "I... I had no idea that you-"

"Survived? Of course not. I'm a corpse, reanimated for the sole purpose of being tortured in the depths of Hell... But that's irrelevant. You know why I'm here..."

"Is it... For your backup memories?" She wondered.

"Exactly. They are stored inside your _Telaraña_, remember?"

"And... What do you want me to do?" The girl inquired, a bit confused. "After all, you have them all in that state, don't you?"

"Oh, it's not for me, not _this_ me at least..." He chuckled. "I want you to use that information to create a duplicate" He ordered.

"No way... You mean... A clone...? Can I really do that?!" She seemed amused.

"Your potential is a field of study by itself, Roka. You're capable of that and much more. That's what made you special from all the other Fracciones" He praised. "As things are going right now, it's only a matter of time before I am sent back to Hell or the afterlife... So it is my only chance to leave a worthy successor that's able to achieve perfection!" He was still obsessed with that idea. "That Shinigami... He might've won, but I refuse to accept that perfection is impossible to reach, not for the likes of Szayelaporro Granz!"

"O... Okay...!" She smiled. "But... How should I do it...?"

"Hehehehe... Just find the right time. Preferably, once things have calmed down a bit. In fact... I advise you to return to Hueco Mundo"

"Are you sure...? I don't know how things are going right now"

"It doesn't matter. Knowing the people that survived... All you have to do is prove yourself useful to them. After that... Make sure to gain their trust, and once you see the chance-"

A barrage of _Heilig Pfeil_ went right through the Espada's body.

"This feeling... So you're still alive" The scientist giggled. "Quincy..."

Uryuu had his bow ready, not wanting to give him any chance to use his weird abilities.

"As it has to be... Unlike you..." Ishida said with bother. "Looks like you won't stay dead, will you?"

"Ahahaha... Do you really think a scientist like I would pass on the chance of experimenting how far can this half-life get me?" He grinned. "Roka... On second thought... Why don't you put him up to the test... Now" He commanded in a whisper.

The Arrancar girl stood in amazement as her master ordered her to carry out the most risky experiment until that point.

~~~~X~~~~

Ichigo gasped as the most awaited moment arrived at last. Seven days and seven nights of bitter, frenzied, dreamless sleep had come to an end, as the love he had lost wrapped her arms around him, proceeding to kiss his shoulder and bite it playfully afterwards.

"You became so strong... Ichi"

"N... Ne..."

She smiled as she heard him attempting to say her name, squeezing him even more tightly as she giggled.

"~kuhuhu~ I'm so happy to see you too... My dear Ichigo" She licked his neck seductively, yet with a hint of bloodlust.

Then, he remembered. The awful truth coming back to his memory and hitting him like a kick to the stomach.

"No... This is not Nel" He told himself, a gruesome pain afflicting his soul. "Nelliel" He finally said.

That made her stop the tight hug, an expression of worry being drawn upon her lips.

"Ichi...? What's the matter?" She inquired, turning him around to look him straight in the eye. "I mean that's my name, but... Why are you acting so distant?"

Ichigo had a close inspection of her.

He couldn't deny that she was gorgeous, but her yellow irises, her dark aura... He could easily spot the difference.

"Well... Others call you differently but... I'd rather use your name"

"What? What do they call me? Bloodthirsty slut? Psychopathic whore? Yandere skank? Or maybe... Insane bitch...?" She teased with a giggle.

"N-No... Not any of that... How can you believe people would call you something so awful?"

"I don't know. A part of me kinda feels like I deserve it, at least after the things I've done in the past... AND in the present" She admitted. "But it doesn't hold any relevance. The only thing that matters is what you think about me. In fact, if you want me... I can become anything you want, Ichi. For you I can be a harlot, a slave, a tool, you name it. As long as I make you happy... I will do anything" She entangled one of her horns with his. "So now... Kiss me... Wrap your tongue around mine and bite my lips like you always do..." She requested softly.

A part of him wanted to do as she said so damn much. Even being that different persona, even looking dark and evil, he couldn't help but feel allured by her. In fact, that look also suited her, in a special way he didn't know... But that was beside the point.

Ichigo, for the first time however, decided to deny her wish and placed her away, gently, as he didn't want to harm her either.

"Huh?!" She gasped uncomfortably.

"Look, I can't do this. I know you're not the person I love so... Please don't make this any harder than it already is" He retorted sadly. "It's easy to tell cause... Those eyes as well as... Your... Hollow..." His voice was almost cracked as he said that. "I just... _Know_ you're not her, so don't try to pretend you have no idea what's going on!"

"Ichigo..." She muttered sadly.

"Look, I just want you to bring her back, alright?" He held her by the shoulders.

"But Ichi... There's no... Return... There's nothing I can do... And for a simple reason" She retorted. "I am the _real _me. No more Scar Queen, but no more fake personas either... And... I know I might be different from the person you fell in love with, but I do love you just as much- No. I love you EVEN MORE than her!"

"That can't be true, Nelliel... Otherwise our link wouldn't have been severed by the darkness, would it?" He smiled sadly. "Now, tell me to the face, why do you want to devour me?"

"I..." She stuttered for a moment, trying to find a more subtle way of putting it. "I'm sorry it had to come to this..."

"Hm?"

"You see... When the Dark Core's energy entered my soul, I was able to fuse with the Nel you knew, but not only that, I also was able to grasp... The real power of Yama.

That made me understand... That none of us had a chance of killing him, not in the present at least... So I made a plan.

I knew that Ulquiorra would tell you what happened, and I knew... That you would never give up on me- Her- Argh..." She collapsed saying that. "But anyway... What's important is that you would release your true power, but... That's not enough"

"So...?" He tried to understand, but couldn't find a logical reason.

"Ichigo just... Just trust me, okay? I know this is the only way! So please... Let me..." She begged. "We'll be together, I promise you...!"

Ichigo sighed with a colossal grief weighting inside him.

"I'm sorry... But I cannot trust a person I don't know" He frowned bitterly as he said that.

"Ichi..." The world around her seemed to shatter as she heard that, shadowing her expression as she looked down, a maniacal smirk appearing on her lips the next instant. "~kuhu~ So that's how it's gonna be..."

"Nelliel...?" He became worried, the air becoming dense as she walked away, her Reiatsu rising.

"You won't call me 'Nel'. You won't pet me. You won't caress me. You won't embrace me. You won't comfort me. You won't kiss me. You won't ride me. You won't make love to me. You won't even FUCK ME..." Her calm smile became an angered expression. "Cause you don't love me..." And then it shifted to a deranged smile. "We could've been, so beautiful... Ahahahahahahahahahahahahah... O', why won't you fly with me...?" She wondered, grinding her sharp Arrancar teeth.

"Hey... No need to-" Ichigo didn't want to fight her either.

"Yeah, no need to worry..." She got her Zanpakutou out of the green sheath, with a calm expression that at the same time gave the most possessive Yandere aura Ichigo had ever perceived. "Cause no matter how many times you push me away... No matter what awful things you say to make me give up... I love you"

"No... Please, Nelliel... I really don't-"

"Well it's too late for that, isn't it?" She slashed the air, creating gusts of pink Reiatsu that acted like a slicing wind. "And besides, I'm not gonna pretend that I don't want you all to myself, even if it has to be the hard way... So if I can't have you..."

"Why...?" Ichigo agonized.

"NO ONE WILL!" She attacked him with more gusts of wind. "_Shunkou!" _The wind became blazing slashes and hurricanes. "I can't lose... I've made it this far... I've discarded it all for this moment... You'll be mine, Kurosaki Ichigo!"

"Fuck..." Ichigo frowned as he found himself blocking her attacks.

"_Corte Infernal!"_

The scorching pain hit him sooner or later, as all he did was block, unwilling to hurt her.

"She might not be MY Nel, but still..." He thought. "She's supposed to be a part of her... I can't... I won't break my promise...!" He refused to fight back.

Dark Nelliel spat pink _Ceros_ with negative energy from her mouth.

"Apparently she infuses the Dark Core's power in every attack she used to have..." Ichigo observed. "It won't be easy, but I won't give in. Maybe... If I show her how pointless this is... I might have a chance!"

They continued for another while, every ounce of damage more heartbreaking than the last for the two, cause even as deranged as Dark Nelliel was, she still loved him. She didn't want to hurt him... But in her head... It was the only way.

"Ichigo... Can you allow me to show you just how great is my love?"

"I wonder what you'll try this time, but I doubt it can surprise me after all these so called forms of 'love' you've shown me"

"~kuhuhu~ Believe me, you're gonna love it" She giggled as she hacked apart the whole sleeve of her right arm's Yukata.

"What in the name...?!" Ichigo was shocked to see it.

The whole right arm of Dark Nelliel was inked, tattooed with a black and red dragon, surrounded by a myriad of red kanjis of his name (一護) that seemed to be painted with blood, all ending up in a black heart that surrounded a skull that resembled his Hollow mask, carved on her shoulder.

"Do you like it? I spent a whole day making it" She said, revealing that the arm was completely tattooed on both sides. "It was really painful, but there's no pain that can compare to my love for you"

"Argh..." He facepalmed. "Nelliel... That's not love... You're just obsessed!"

She sighed with bother and gave him a dread look, not able to comprehend how that didn't make him fall for her.

"What a turndown..." She frowned. "But, I'll make you mine, no matter what. I can't forget when I felt you..." She remembered that night. "It was clear to me... That I needed you..."

Seeing as she was getting nowhere, she decided to become a real threat.

"Praise, **_Gamuza_**_:_ _Segunda Etapa!"_ She went straight into that stage, thinking that would make Ichigo give up.

"Void... _**Las Noches**" _He had no choice but to do it, as her attacks would be devastating from that point on.

"Heh... So you're just gonna use that form..." She grinned angrily. "Just how powerful do I have to become to be worthy of you, huh?! Always mocking me... Always lowering your true power... Why can't you see that I can protect you too?!" She said, blasting a barrage of _Lanzador Verde _at him.

"Is that how you truly feel?" He blocked and deviated them all with Zangetsu. "Forgive me... It was never my intention-"

"And you have the nerve to look down on me still..." She was angered by his behaviour. "_Campeador Maligno!"_

He was saying that from the heart, but unfortunately, Dark Nelliel felt this was simply a condescending mockery on his part.

In fact, she was so blinded by her emotions that she had overlooked the most important aspect of their battle.

Ichigo hadn't attacked. Once.

Every cell of his body refused to damage her, because in his mind, there was still a fragment of his beloved inside that woman.

Even after feeling estranged of her, he couldn't bring himself to break the vow he had made. Not now, not ever.

"_**Lanza de ****Oscuridad Gamuza**!" _She used her greatest offensive power in that form.

_"Muerte Negra!" _Ichigo summoned the Scythe, only to use it as a melee weapon to defend himself more effectively, remembering how he used his powers against the catastrophic weather conditions of the Holy Mountain.

"Argh!" He complained, part of the attack still dealing damage to him. "That hurt... But I won't dare give up!"

"Tch..." She couldn't believe his tenacity. "*sigh* No wonder I fell in love with him..."

She charged her Reiatsu even further, deciding to go to the limit. _Etapa Final._

Once in her most powerful form, Ichigo noticed how her irises became pink, just like before, but the long thin pupils still gave out her true identity.

"Why do you have to go this far?!" Ichigo yelled, unable to withstand it anymore.

"Don't you understand, Ichi? I've said it a thousand times… It's all because...

I love you.

I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I...

I LOVE YOU, KUROSAKI ICHIGO!"

Why don't you understand?! Why can't you comprehend?! All I want is to become one with you!" She screamed in agony. "But… Being a Whole is not possible anymore" She started crying, tears of pure sadness crashing around her. "And even if it was... It's simply not enough! Not even close! I want your flesh, your blood, your soul. I want everything, Ichigo. That's what this love is about. I want your being to be a part of me entirely and eternally. Do you understand? I. Want. You. FOREVER!"

"For fuck's sake, Nelliel, isn't there a better way? Isn't there a single chance you can bring my love back?!" He spat back, angered, as he thought she was just trying to force him to love her.

"You're mean, Ichigo..." She weeped. "I am your love... Or so I thought..." She covered her face with a hand as she started crying.

These times were the hardest for Ichigo, cause it made him digress on wether it was all just an act of Dark Nelliel to manipulate him, or, if there was indeed a chance that everything this Nelliel had said was true.

Then he saw it. From a darkened sky due to her corrupted Reiatsu, fell _Mordred_ and...

"A... Shield?" He was surprised to see another Final Weapon.

It was a large knight's shield of oval shape with pink skulls of somber and agonizing expressions covering the whole exterior.

"Meet _Dullahan... _This is what makes _Mordred _really dangerous, but of course... You don't know that. That incomplete persona you fell in love with couldn't summon this Final Weapon, as it is the most pure incarnation of my aspect of death" She explained. "Funny, isn't it? The lance isn't nearly as dark-themed as the shield..."

"What does it do?"

"Wanna find out?" She licked her lips. "Then get off your high horse and attack me, goddammit!" She demanded. "But don't you dare look down on me... Not after everything I've done...!"

Ichigo suddenly got the flashback of all the times Nel had cursed her own powerlessness due to him.

"Was that always such a big deal for her?" He thought. "What am I thinking? This is not Nel! She just... Pretends she is... Right? _My_ Nel... Is either trapped inside or... Gone, but... It can't be her!"

In spite of his denial, he couldn't fight back. He didn't have it in him.

No matter how many nuclear _Ceros_ went his way, no matter how many stabs and hits he received. He would never hurt her.

Dark Nel was losing her patience as he continued dodging and blocking poorly, yet not harming her in any way.

"Just like he promised..." She thought for a second. "No... He's just making fun of me! He left clear that he doesn't care about me... Even after everything I've done...!"

"Nghh..." He was having trouble resisting her stabs and thrusts.

"What's the matter, Ichi? You won't attack me either? Even though you hate me?!"

"That's not true, Nelliel! I don't hate you! I just... I just... I JUST CAN'T ACCEPT THE FACT THAT THE WOMAN I VOWED TO LOVE DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE!" He spat back.

"Ichi..." She could feel the suffering in his words.

"There is a weight... Upon me still. The quivering stench of the incomplete..." He touched his empty Hollow Hole. "Looming, terrible... I can barely breathe...!" He panted, with tears in his eyes. "THIS ISN'T WHAT I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE!" He screamed in agony, throwing his sword away as he fell to his knees.

"I... Ichigo...?" She started feeling odd. Her anger dispersing and making way to an immeasurable sadness.

"Toil with me, if you will... Cause I'm sorry! Oh God, I'm sorry! I'm sorry I left you there... Oh God, I left you there...!" He put his hand in his face as he weeped on the stone floor, unable to continue such torture. "Might this be my atonement... Might my sacrifice be done...!" He went back to his base form, revealing the terrible stabwounds she had inflicted upon him during their combat, or to be precise, her assault. "I will die here on this Castle... But at least... At the very end... I'll be able to die at your hands..." He smiled at her.

He had completely given up to her. He would not attempt to harm her. Instead, he decided to accept that his love was gone, choosing to die at the hands of what she had become.

"Ichigo... What are you...?" She couldn't understand it.

"I'm fed up. That's all..." He replied, standing up again, looking like an empty carcass. "It is like you said. I won't do any of those things you mentioned earlier... But I won't break my promise and hurt you either!" He exclaimed, life coming back to his eyes for that instant. "I don't understand... Why did this happen... How could this happen... But I can't help but think, this is all my fault. Maybe I should've withstood that pain... Maybe, my soul wasn't strong enough to protect our bond... Hell If I know..."

"Ichigo, it's not your fault..." She found herself saying, tears escaping her eyes as she did. "What...? Am I... Crying... For him...?"

"How can you tell me that with that sad expression drawn upon your face?" He asked back. "No... It's definitely been my failure from the start" He walked to her.

"Ichigo...?"

"I became stronger... I conquered that Mountain... I came to this Castle and yet... I didn't find what I was looking for" He confessed. "I thought... That the girl I fell in love with was somehow trapped inside your being. I stupidly thought... That you were lying... And that all your efforts were born out of evil intent, not seeing that in fact, you conquered that darkness embedded within you, and made its power your own... For me... Am I right?" He inquired, his smile not disappearing.

"Y-Yeah... I believe I did..." She replied. "I mean... I won't deny that this darkness gets the worst out of me but-"

"Shh..." He softly silenced her. "It's not your fault. In fact, it's admirable, and I couldn't feel any more flattered by that" He gazed upon her eyes. "I think I get it now..."

"What?"

"Why you did all this. The reason behind your actions" He replied. "It is because, neither of us is strong enough to defeat Yama... But if our powers were combined we would stand a chance"

"Y-Yes! That is exactly it!" She felt so happy to hear he understood.

"But that difference is only possible due to the power of the Dark Core... And that same power won't allow us to create a Whole Link. That's why... The only solution would be that one of us consumed the other, making that strength its own..." He continued. "However, you also know, that I would never be able to consume you. That's why... You went this far so that I wouldn't have to go through that and take all that weight upon your shoulders. Amusing" He praised her, just like her Zanpakutou did in its complete form.

"That is... True. It's all true, Ichigo, but... I'm not sure I can continue with you knowing that-"

"No, it's alright. Now I know what an imbecile I was..." He answered. "I claimed to love you entirely, light and darkness alike, and yet... I was too blind to accept that... This is also you... Nel" He called her the way she loved most, and touched her face tenderly.

"Ichi..." She dropped the two weapons.

"Scar Queen... And the Nel I loved... They are both the same person now, aren't they...? The reason you acted in that wicked way was just because of the Dark Core's influence... But it's not your fault" He kept saying that. "It never was..."

Dark Nel returned to her base form and wrapped him in her arms...

...And this time, Ichigo complied.

"Oh Ichi... I'm so sorry that-"

"No... _I _am sorry" He kissed her in the way she had requested earlier, feeling her tongue and biting her lips.

Dark Nelliel was crying out of pure happiness as she finally got what she mostly desired. Her beloved's acceptance.

Breaking the kiss, he gazed upon her eyes one more time.

"They might be different, but they are gorgeous too, just like the rest of you" He said the truth, admitting that he was also attracted to her in that form.

"Oh, Ichigo!" She pushed him to the ground, making out madly with him as the pieces of ruins of the Castle crumbled around them. "~Mmffff...~ Fa..." The string of drool formed between the two as they felt the other's tender warmth, and tasting it was the most delightful thing she could experience. "I love you so much... I'm so happy!"

"Haha... I feel the same, but... I'm really sorry for saying those awful things back there... Nel..." He apologized. "Even if you're not exactly _my_ Nel... You are still her, and you didn't lie. I think it's incredible how you still love me even with that unfathomable darkness inside of you"

"It's the only promise I'd never break" She embraced him tightly. "And... I'm really sad that I'm not the person you want me to be... Although I could try my best to pretend-"

"There's no need for that. After all... You're gonna devour me, won't you? It is the only way we can defeat Yama" He agreed with her now.

"You... You really mean it?" She was amazed to hear it coming from him.

"Yeah. Wholeheartedly" He caressed her hair. "So... Come to me with bloodlust, let me quench your thirst... Black roses fell around us, let me be your first" He grabbed her sword and cut his wrist.

"Ichigo...!" She became worried, but her dark tendencies instantly guided her to drink the ruby fluid that came out of his body.

"Fill your needs as these arteries bleed. Don't be scared, my love..." He pat her head as she drank, making her doubt for a moment.

"Ich-"

He pressed her head against the wrist, so that none would be wasted.

"Don't you speak, just for now you must feed. Take it in, my life..." He said, feeling a bit drowsy.

Dark Nel continued drinking, feeding upon him just like she intended from the start. Liquid happiness continued running down her cheeks as she enjoyed the taste of not only blood, but Ichigo's pure unquestionable love.

"Ichigo... I-" She stopped, just to look him in the eyes and make sure it was okay.

"Cry to me undying... Cry to me undying love..." Ichigo muttered as he started losing consciousness, the image of Dark Nel's beautiful face being the last image burned unto his brain.

She kissed him one last time, before everything went black for him.

"I promise you, Ichigo... We'll be together forever! We'll save the world! And in our next life... We'll meet again and love each other once more!" She vowed. "We will cherish our concession... We will become gods and we will perish by obsession! You will be the defection... We will be the explosion! We will metaphor ourselves in devotion... So I'll bury you, beneath the sun... Goodbye, my love. For my sins I've doomed us both to this... Castle... In the Sky..." She ended up crying as she held his body.

She thought she was ready to let go. She thought she would have what it took to take her loved one's life. However, her chest became heavier and heavier as her tears fell, slowly making her realize the truth.

"This is what I wanted, right...? This is what I ached to achieve and yet... Why does it feel so wrong? Why do I feel so sad...? So miserable...? So... Hollow?" She wondered. "Wait... No... I never asked for this! I never wanted this! I wanted to be with him... My whole life... I wanted to feel his warm embrace... His sweet kisses... His soothing voice... His filling heart..." She remembered it all. "Like, what is the point... Of doing all this...? If I won't be able to share this and every other moment with him?!"

In that moment, Nageki's redemption came to shine.

Her Hollow Hole, started letting a mass of a disgusting Dark energy out.

"What...? What is this... Light?" She thought, feeling better. "This bright... This happiness... This... Love..."

The energy came out like an explosion, but it did not hurt. On the contrary, it was a feeling of freedom, of release, of purification. Her soul was being cleansed of the Dark Core's influence, and that meant another thing.

"Ichigo..." She started feeling his presence in her void once again, faint, but surely. She knew it was there, and Ichigo's chest confirmed it, showing how the lance was regaining its pink color, and a shield started appearing as well.

Not only that, but the condensed evil she had relinquished from her soul had finally freed her of the decontrol of her worst side. Her bloodlust, her violence, her jealousy, her misery... It all was going back to normal, making her feel like she was another person, or was that person her real self all along?

"Just... Who am I?" She wondered.

It was a really complex question after all the changes she had gone through, but something was a given. She wasn't the same she was before... And that included all her past beings.

Now, in the moment of truth, it was time to conclude what she was for once and for all.

Looking at her reflection in her Zanpakutou, her hazel eyes gave her the answer she was looking for.

"That's right. I'm Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. Queen of Hueco Mundo. Segunda Espada. Former ruler of the Blood Forest. Best friend of Tier Harribel. Sibling of Pesche and Dondochakka. And, above all..." She smiled. "Whole, with Kurosaki Ichigo"

In that moment, she remembered the delicate situation he was in.

"Oh no, Ichigo!" She bent over him, and, embedding her saliva with Kaidou, she licked the wounds and started healing him with all her knowledge and might.

She could feel it in her restored heart, he was getting his strength back.

"It's working!" She thought, putting up more effort.

Everything was coming along well.

Everything was perfect once again.

Everything...

Ev

er

y

th

i

ng?

"Wonderful..." The prideful voice of the only enemy left said. "So not only did you take care of him, but also returned my Negative Energy, with interest AND the addition that it's now Hollow Reiatsu... I couldn't have asked for a better deal, my dear Nelliel... Fufufufufufufu... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

Her eyes widened in fear as she realized what had just happened.

"No...!" She stood up and raised her sword at him.

Yama manipulated the gigantic amount of energy, and used it to open the black box containing the Heart of Tsukoyomi.

"Hold it. I don't think it's the best moment to act... After all, your dear Ichi's life hangs by a thread right now, doesn't it?"

"You...! You used me... You made me hurt him and so many other people I loved! HOW DARE YOU...?!" She was almost crying out of pure anger, hating Yama with every molecule that composed her.

"Easy, easy... It was you who agreed this with me. In fact, the only thing we assured, was that you fought Ichigo. Anything else, was on your own account, and to tell the truth, I'm ecstatic with the result" Yama explained. "Originally, I thought the Dark Core's consciousness, in case Neberu failed to eliminate you three, would take over Ulquiorra, but hey, you surpassed every expectation I had" He chuckled. "Even the fact that you weren't able to kill him is a treat. Now I will have that pleasure myself"

"Over my dead body!" She stood up and took a protective pose, just like the one she had taken when she found Ichigo again, back in Urahara's Shop.

"Heheheh..." He grinned evilly. "Let's see what you're made of, Queen. At the very least, you should be more entertaining than your predecessor"

"Predecessor... You mean, Yukari-san?" She remembered that.

"Yes, her. She was a total pushover... But then again... That's what you get when you just gave birth to Mugetsu's rotten seed, don't you agree?"

"No...! You can't be for real...!" She spouted, her anger reaching levels she didn't even know existed. "Are you really saying that-"

"Yes, I did, and the best part is that the one supposed to protect her was none other than our try-hard pal over here" He looked to another side.

Nageki appeared, all wounded and exhausted.

"Nageki!" Nel called his name, never seeing him so weak before.

"Nelliel! You are... Yourself! It worked!" He said in amusement, forgetting about the damage. "It worked, right? Yes, it must have, Ichigo got his mark's color back" He noted, talking and monologuing really quickly.

"What do you...?" She asked confused.

"Oh, don't mind me... I'm just glad to see you're back" Nageki smiled, despite his wounds.

"Aw, what a heartwarming reunion" Yama mocked. "The psycopath and the sadistic whore! It's so moving I could cry!"

Nel and Nageki gave him dread looks, bracing for the moment of battle.

"I don't care what you call me..." Nel declared. "But one thing's for sure. You won't be able to touch him" She referred to her beloved, right behind her.

"Oh... Scary" Yama's mockery seemed to have no end. "You see, it is quite irrelevant at this point" He started absorbing the power of the Heart of Tsukoyomi. "It's time for me, to stand atop it all"

"Dammit..." Nageki frowned, cursing himself for failing to protect the tesseract. "Now we're truly hopeless, unless...!" He thought of the only possible solution. "Nelliel, how far has Ichigo gotten?"

"I believe..." She remembered his draconic appearance, having watched him from afar while concealing her Reiatsu. "_Segunda Etapa_, but I don't know... He didn't even use that against me..." She remembered bitterly, a part of her wishing to forget that ever happened. "Why...?"

"Hm... So we're reduced to luck in the end..." He muttered with bother. "No choice then"

"What are we gonna do?" She inquired.

"Arikado-san and Captain Yamamoto have retired. Their powers were constantly being absorbed by Yama, so I told them I'd take care of him..."

"Can you really do it?" She was surprised.

"At least... Until Ichigo is ready to fight again" He replied. "But I need your help"

"You don't need to mention it" She had already made that decision. "I won't lament my lack of power. We all have things to protect... That's all there is to it" She declared. "Praise... _**Gamuza**: Etapa Final"_

Nageki beheld her most powerful transformation with amusement, as he had never seen her so powerful before.

"The Heart of Tsukoyomi belongs to Ichigo" She said, holding _Mordred _and _Dullahan. _"I won't be beaten or broken... I'll reclaim what was stolen, this is who I've become..." She could see the different moments that marked her life.

The time she had been a tyrannical ruler.

Nageki's apparition, and her transformation into a Vasto Lorde.

Her short return as Queen of the Blood Forest, followed by her decision to leave.

Her days as a just warrior of the desert.

Her meeting with Pesche and Dondochakka.

The moment she became an Espada under Aizen's command.

Nnoitra's betrayal and her memory-loss.

Her encounter with Ichigo, and all the times she had been defenseless as a little kid.

The moment she came back to her adult form to protect him, failing miserably in the end.

Their reunion, and how she helped him restore his powers.

Their training at the Dangai, and the moment she discovered love, as well as the development of her friendship with Harribel.

Their assault in Hueco Mundo, and her resolve to achieve _Segunda Etapa._

The night she became a Whole, accepting Ichigo as her other half for all eternity.

The first time Ichigo rode her.

Her bittersweet reunion with Nageki.

Ichigo's ascension as King, and hers as Queen of Las Noches.

Their journey to the Blood Forest, along with her past's confession.

Their descent into Hell.

The moment she faced her darkness and unlocked _Etapa Final_.

How the Dark Core corrupted her and how she parted ways with Ichigo to make him stronger.

Her betrayal against the Horsemen, and the damage she inflicted upon her best friend.

And finally. Her fight with Ichigo, and the moment she finally became her complete self, discarding only the alien darkness that once tainted her precious heart.

"...What once was weak is now strong!" She exclaimed as she held _Mordred_, pointing it towards Yama.

Nageki was still making up his mind on wether using the final card under his sleeve.

"If I do this... This is where it ends" He thought carefully, closing his eyes with a smile. "Heh... It's ironic isn't it? It's almost like I wanna keep on living now that I see all the wonderful things they have achieved... But enough is enough. I always knew that my era ended long ago, so I might as well protect Nelliel until the very last moment, and then..." He opened them again, his fuchsia irises brimming with decision. "...I'll leave it up to you, Ichigo"

"Hey, Nageki" She called him.

"You're wondering wether I have a plan, right?" He asked back.

"Yeah... I doubt we can defeat him with power alone"

"That is true... So we have no choice but to be smarter"

"What do you have in mind?" She asked. "The only thing I know... Is that this shield can absorb any attack as long as it's below my level of Reiatsu, and then I can release it all at once through this lance"

"Perfect. For now, I'll support you so we can weaken his attacks to the point you can absorb them. I'll tell you when to release it all, and then, we might have a chance..."

"Is that all?"

"Almost" He took her hand as a knight takes his Queen's. "It was a pleasure knowing you, Nelliel. I hope you can forgive me for my past mistakes, but I swear that today... I'm ready to end my life so that you and Ichigo can start yours"

"Nageki...!" She was surprised by that claim, but remembering his wish, she chose to pick him up and hug him warmly. "I'll always remember you... My first friend"

"How cute... Spending your final moments like the pitiful insects you are..." Yama spouted. "_Memento Mori!"_

A barrage of chaotic shots of Reiatsu came flying at them, Nelliel taking that chance to absorb power with _Dullahan_, while redirecting the other ones with _Mordred_.

Nageki took a more defensive stance as well, using his powers to transmute their surroundings to protect Ichigo and Nel.

"_Oculus Ex Inferni!" _Yama summoned a thousand eyes shooting beams of Light and Dark. "Let's see how you deal with that!"

"Don't worry, Ichi..." Nel thought as she looked at her unconscious lover. "I'll protect you from everything, no matter how strong!"

Nageki and Nel continued their defensive tactic, putting it all on the line to get that single chance.

They both knew of Yama's ability to absorb energy, so they didn't bother to attack, but something was really terrifying: it was clear that the Demon King was merely playing with them, and yet their lives were at risk from the moment he appeared before them.

However, said idea didn't mean they would give up. On the contrary, it forced them to go further from the limits they both knew, determined to protect the things they cherished most.

In a certain moment, Yama attacked Nel with his blade directly, creating Dark, Light and Chaos slashes with every swing of his sword, and forcing her to mostly dodge due to the tremendous power of it.

"C'mon, Nageki..." She thought, every second that passed putting her in a tighter spot.

It looked like it was nearly the end of her, but that was what Nageki was waiting for, as it was the only chance he had to seal the God's nasty ability for good.

Returning his body to his normal skin, he cut his wrists to let the blood out.

"Argh! Here goes...!" Nageki exclaimed while grinding his teeth, directing the torrent of blood towards the Kamibuki.

"Die, Nelliel!" Yama spat. "So that I can see that look of unparalleled misery upon Ichigo's face!"

He swinged his blade one more time, thinking it was the end of the Arrancar Queen.

_"**Red Alquímica del Engaño**" _Nageki smiled as he used the most sneaky ability in his repertoire, at the cost of his life, the torrent of blood covering his Kamibuki, leaving some kind of rust in it. "NOW, NELLIEL!"

"Yes!" She transmitted all the absorbed power from _Dullahan_.

**_"Promesa Rota"_**

From _Mordred_, pink Reiatsu rose like a blade of titanic proportions, flowing through it with a fierce cutting nature.

Yama laughed as he prepared _Lucifer_ to absorb all that accumulated power.

"How idiotic... No matter how much power you use... IT'S ALL MINE!" He went towards it with the black and white katana, ready to receive a boost, only to find...

"What?!" He spouted in disbelief, realizing that he couldn't absorb energy anymore, the energy starting to deal massive damage to him.

"No more tricks for you... I've cancelled the energy-absorbing prowess that weapon has. You might be above us in terms of raw power, but at the very least, I'll ensure that there's now a chance to defeat you!" Nageki explained.

"You... Pesky deceiver! How dare you use such a cheap tactic to attempt to defeat ME?!" Yama spouted.

"Well... It is as you said, heheheh..." Nageki chuckled with difficulty due to the pain. "My aspect of death... Is none other than _Deceit_. How careless of you... To only find out that now"

"HAAAAAAAAA!" Nel continued wielding the power of the lance, determined to erase Yama from the faze of existence once and for all.

"UUUURRAAAHHH!!!" He screamed in pain, the power of his own attacks being used against him in a formidable counter-strategy.

For the second time, Yama saw himself in a tight spot due to an Arrancar.

"I can't... Accept this... I won't... Allow another... Pitiful Arrancar... To defy... ME!!!" He screamed as he decided to release his Kamibuki. "Topple from the Heavens...!

_**LUCIFER**"_

* * *

**Finally, we get to this moment. Man, I don't know if I was drunk or somethin' when I deviced this whole plot twist of Dark Nel but I'm fucking glad I did, cause I had a blast writing it and look, an almost 10K chapter in about two days! (ignoring the 'I love you' part xD) That's inspiration if I've seen it lol.**

**I hope you liked how everything turned about, although it's not yet finished. Now, in the event horizon, appears the final boss to fight his last stand.**

**In technical terms (power scale and shit), Yama with the Heart of Tsukoyomi is as powerful as Ichigo in his second release, which is why Nel can somewhat handle in her _Etapa Final_, same with Nageki.**

**Still, the end is drawing near, but there's no need to worry, as after my hiatus, we'll have the continuation some of you have been asking me to make, but please, be patient. With CorV around and the odd development my classes have turned out like, I cannot promise anything. I might be bombarded with evaluations in the future, and that would mean no writing... But that's life for you, it sucks, or that's what I'd rather think so I don't have any illusions.**

**Reviews:**

**kbnsr: _Thanks for the reply! If you're trying to get your story to reach more people, have you considered publishing on a o 3? It seems some readers only use one of the two websites so it might be worth a try! I'm so excited for Ichigo's return and I can't wait for the resolution between Ichigo/Dark Nel. Till next time! :)_**

**Reply: a o 3? Ah, Archive of our Own. Honestly, I had never used that one before, though I had heard of it. It's not really a worrying matter for me, but I won't lie. I hope that by creating these stories people in the future feel more drawn towards reading my original work when I release it, but the most important part for me is practicing and having fun. Thank you for your recommendation, I'll check it out.**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _OMGoodness! Great chapter! I am SO looking forward to the next! I wonder though...due to the power Ichigo gained, along with feeling a Hollow existence (literally and figuratively), does that mean he's similar to how Dark Nelliel is currently in a way? And if that's true...perhaps if they manage to resolve everything...could their Whole bond be "renewed"?_**

**Reply: I hope it met your expectations. Clearing yoyr doubts, Ichigo is empty in that form, yet not evil, unlike Dark Nelliel due to the Dark Core. They are a bit similar though. And yes, it turns out (Well, I deviced it that way) that the Dark Core merely blocked their link, but it did not break it, so yeah, we have our Whole IchiNel back, woo!**

**See you all next time, where I honestly don't know just how much will happen. Luckily, I'll be able to give you a more climactic scene than Dangai Ichigo vs Aizen, but we'll see, haha. Evhron out.**

**Glosary:**

**_Gran Rey Cero: Luna Llena:_ _Gran Rey Cero: _Full Moon. it is practically the perfected form of _Cero Luna_ and is only possible to do by Ichigo and... Welp, that's for the future. But still, it is a Light based attack of pure Hollow Reiatsu.**

**_Eclipse Anular: _Anullar Eclipse. Ichigo's strongest attack in _Segunda Etapa._ I took the inspiration from Gogeta's stardust attack in Janemba's special. It is a Light/Dark attack, yet not reaching the Chaos state. That's reserved for the final.**

**_Campeador Maligno: _Evil Champion. Relentless stabs embedded with negative energy.**

**_Lanza de Oscuridad Gamuza: _Counterpart to _Lanza de Luz Gamuza_. It's the same but with Dark element.**

**_Dullahan: _This one's important to note, cause the shield is really similar to the one Dullahan carries around in Castlevania CoD, for you to get an idea. Now, why does Nel have two Final Weapons? Well, simple. Because they are supposed to go together, but as previously explained, she wasn't her complete self and thus couldn't summon her complete Final Weapon. If you think about it, it's perfect for her, as it shows both her desire to protect along with her aspect of death. Also, her true release command is Praise, in case you didn't notice, so from this point on it's gonna be that, now that she's complete.** **Also, fun fact: the most literal translation of 謳え ****is "sing", but it can also mean "declare" and "praise" in the right context. Many translations have used "sing" due to this, but it's not necessarily correct, although it would make sense with the "Capricorn Knight" meaning of Gamuza. Nelliel must be a wonderful singer regardless**.

**_Red Alquímica del Engaño: _Alchemic Web of Deceit. By using his blood in a full Deadman Wonderland style, Nageki sacrifices his own lifeforce to cancel an enemy's special ability.**

**_Promesa Rota: _Broken Promise. Nel's most powerful attack, which depends on how much energy she has absorbed with _Dullahan_, and can later display on _Mordred_. She can also use her own Reiatsu, but it's clearly not as effective.**


	43. Dust To Dust

"Hm... Where are the tastiest souls?" Aaroniero said with the deep voice. "I wonder, I wonder..." The high-pitched head added.

"Tsk... Looks like only weaklings made it out. Well, it will be over soon" Byakuya said, appearing behind Aaroniero's back after using _Senka_ on the diseased Arrancar.

"Kgh...!" Aaroniero felt the pain. "W-What?!" The high-pitched sphere spoke.

"Scatter... _Senbonzakura"_ Byakuya commanded, not wanting to waste any more time.

"Devour... _Glotonería__!" _The Arrancar used his _Resurrección _as a last resort.

Rising from the ground in its gigantic tentacled form, Aaroniero confronted Byakuya.

"Don't think you've won, Shinigami!" The high-pitched voice said. "I've consumed about 33,650 Hollows during my existence, and a couple Togabito now that I got the chance... There's no way you can defeat me so easily!"

"Tentacles... I see" Byakuya remembered Rukia's testimony. "You're the Espada Rukia defeated when she went to Hueco Mundo to help Kurosaki save that human girl"

"Huh? You know...?" His low-voiced sphere groaned. "...That damned Shinigami girl?!" The acute voice completed.

"Watch your language, trash. You're referring to a proud member of the Kuchiki Family" Byakuya retorted with an aura of superiority as he commanded his millions of blades to tear the Arrancar into shreds. "You're talking about my sister"

"Aarrghhh!" The two voices squealed as Byakuya turned him into a disgusting-looking Tako Sashimi (not that it was his fault).

"About 33,650 Hollows huh?" He mocked. "That's not nearly a tenth of blades that compose Senbonzakura"

He was about to leave towards another presence, when he found out that he couldn't control his legs.

Byakuya remembered that feeling, not even having the need to confirm who was behind this trick.

"Hahaha... You won't be able to escape my _Amor_ this time!" The diseased 7th Espada said.

"Tch... Guess I'll have to teach you a lesson once again" He was going to extend his arm, but it was too late, gasping as he realized.

"I told you, Shinigami Captain. There is no escape!" Zommari laughed. "I decided to focus all my _Amor_ in you, so don't think for one second that you'll be free!"

"Dammit... What can I do?" Byakuya's mind raced to find a solution.

"C'mon Byakuya! Is that all you've got?" The teasing voice of an old friend said.

"Shihouin Yoruichi..." He muttered with bother. "It seems that your wrong habit of showing up where you haven't been called is yet to find an end"

"Don't be so arrogant, Byakuya. If it wasn't for me, right now you'd be in serious trouble"

"I am still bound by the power of that Arrancar so... I'd say I _am_ in trouble" He retorted with a look of bother. "Shit" He thought after falling into her trap.

"Oh, so you admit that you need my help" She smirked. "Very well, then... _Shunkou!"_

"No... I must... Do it in time...!" The Espada was about to command the Captain to take his own life.

Yoruichi proceeded to punch the hell out of Zommari, beating him to a pulp before he could accomplish anything.

"The other prick that defied me's on the wagon back to Hell. Be grateful that I'm just gonna send you to the afterlife for giving me a reason to tease that kid!" She chuckled.

"Wait...! No!"

"Disappear!" She ended it all with an electric punch that roasted him to the point of disintegration.

The shadow markings disappeared from Byakuya's limbs as the Espada met his end.

"What would you be without me...?" She teased him more.

"Happy..." Byakuya replied with a pun, but with his serious tone. "Next time, do not interfere. I'm not worthy of being called Captain if I cannot even escape a cheap trick like that one"

"Aw... Look who got his pride hurt" She mocked him.

"*sigh* Cursed be the day I met you..." He muttered, despite being grateful out of the façade.

"You're welcome!" Yoruichi laughed, patting Byakuya in the back, earning a dread look from the nobleman.

Meanwhile, Uryuu was facing Szayelaporro, who had now entered _Resurrección, _trying to eliminate him once and for all.

Using the _Heilig Kreuz_ as a melee weapon, the Quincy made his way through the neverending clones that appeared of Roka, who was the only one in the battlefield at the moment, and since he had managed to dodge the black rain, he didn't have to worry about facing clones of himself at the very least.

Roka's clones were a distraction more than anything, cause at least in her base form, she wasn't nearly a threat in terms of power. She only had basic attacks as punches, kicks and a couple weak _Ceros _of white color.

"Don't you think it's quite a cowardly move to hide behind your harmless assistant?" Uryuu told the diseased Espada.

"Cowardly? No, I'd rather call it smart" Szayelaporro retorted. "After all, I see that you somehow became terrifyingly strong, Quincy, so I thought... Why not level the field a bit?"

"Kgh..." Uryuu frowned at his tactic.

"Besides... Do you really believe Roka to be that harmless? Hehehuhuhuhu..." He laughed as he saw his "tool" doing as he ordered.

"Dance in Ecstasy... _Telaraña!" _She released her Zanpakutou, a beautiful white silk dress replacing her plain-looking attire, and more shockingly, six white spider legs growing out of her back, her mask being replaced by a veil that appeared to be made of the same silk as the dress.

"What?" Ishida was surprised by that development, as the girl seemed to be far too weak for Szayel to be so sure about his choice.

"And now the time has come... The time for you to despair! To become mad in the futility of your new strength, incomparable to the elegance of my (almost) perfect being..."

Roka, using her special ability, literally created a body with special threads that came out from her spider legs, embedding the Reiatsu and memories Szayelaporro had stored within her threads.

"...And, the perfect being that's about to rise NOW!"

"Dammit...!" Ishida realized the kind of situation he was now immersed in.

"I can't believe it..." Roka was in disbelief due to her own power, her threads forming a perfect clone of Szayel before her very eyes.

Szayelaporro snapped his fingers, returning Roka's clones to the black liquid state where they came from, as he wanted to savor the moment of his resurrection.

"If only _Gabriel_ could be used as a true form of resurrection from this incomplete existence..." He daydreamed. "*sigh* No matter. I'll make sure my dear clone carries on my will!"

Roka's spider legs ceased their knitting, stopping at the astonishing image of the being that had just been born.

It was the vivid image of the previous 8th Espada, even having the glasses made out of his Hollow mask, along with the same two lines of missing hair on his forehead. It was a perfect copy.

The clone opened his amber eyes, analyzing and comprehending the world that surrounded him, his mind quickly accessing his memories to come to understand it all.

Roka stood in awe as she beheld the fruit of her effort. Her master was back to life, or well, a reflection of him was.

"I see... Huhuhuhuhu..." He observed, smiling as he grasped said opportunity. "I remember it all... And I perfectly know what I must do"

"Success!" Szayelaporro moaned in pleasure as his hypothesis turned out to be correct. "Now, my clone, would you please show me what you're capable of with this Quincy?"

The clone's eyes shifted towards Ishida, deciding to comply.

"If it is for experimentation, sure. I'm also wondering just how powerful this body is" He said as he looked at himself carefully, opening and closing his hands and playing with his fingers.

"Oh no... If this goes the way I think... I'll have no choice but to use all of my power, even if we're in a residential area"

"What shall I do, Szayelaporro-sama?" Roka inquired.

"You've done enough, Roka. All I ask is that you pay attention to the encounter, so that you can replicate any interesting technique that comes up with your _Telaraña _in the future" Szayel ordered.

"Okay" She did as told.

The clone got his Zanpakutou out of the sheath, revealing a blade that looked almost the same as the original, having a Tsuba with two bull horns, clearly reminiscent of a long diseased blonde Fracción.

"Shall we start?" He chuckled as he pointed the blade at Uryuu.

"As you wish. I'll make sure to end this before more lives are at risk" The Quincy retorted, worried about their surroundings.

The clone used the same style of combat Uryuu had faced in the past, merely slicing the air to attack him.

This time, however, he wasn't nearly at the level he used to be at that time. He was far stronger, and he would prove it.

Countering with his large cross and _Hyrenkiaku, _Uryuu easily deflected the slashes, attacking the Espada's clone with the cross.

"Wow, looks like he's serious! No choice then..." The clone shrugged, putting the blade inside his mouth as he wrapped his tongue around it. "Sip... _Fornicarás!"_

"Argh... Not again..." Uryuu facepalmed, already having to deal with one. "Huh?"

The clone in his _Resurrección _was very similar to the original, but something was off. Somehow, he seemed bigger and stronger, though the most distinguishable characteristic were the bull horns that grew on his head and how his pink hair had a long blonde tail.

"A splendid transformation! Looks like now my greatest aspiration will reach the summit!" The original Espada rejoiced as he exclaimed that.

"What...? What's going on?" The Quincy asked Szayel.

"Oh, you see, that _is_ indeed a clone of mine, but the data I stored wasn't that of the self you knew..." He revealed. "That clone, is made out of all my memories. Those before and after I decided to separate myself from my brother"

"You mean... You used to be a single entity?"

"Exactly. The original Szayelaporro Granz, for your information, was numbered 100 under normal conditions. However, if we used _Resurrección_, we instantly became Espada 0, designated by Barragan himself, because of having a power that could match his own"

"Barragan..." Ishida remembered his brief battle with the previous King of Hueco Mundo during his fight with Takenawa. It was clear that an Arrancar with a similar strength as his meant real trouble.

"I won't lie, we were both monstrously strong and god-like genius as one, but unfortunately, we were so impulsive when Yylfordt's violent tendencies came to light, not leaving a single trace of the enemy for further advancement in my glorious science!"

"So you decided to part ways and separate your nerd side from the brute's. A really understandable reason, I gotta admit" Ishida half-teased. "But that means that this guy..."

"Exactly" Szayel could taste perfection. "He bestows the power of our original being, while only having _my _consciousness! A more perfect Arrancar couldn't exist!"

"Oh, I'm so flattered I could blush" The clone chuckled. "But anyways... Let's get to the matter at hand"

The clone used its tentacles to fire large pink _Ceros_ at the Quincy.

Uryuu quickly recognized such power, or so he believed.

"Was that a... _Gran Rey Cero?"_ He had seen Grimmjow using said ability during their training.

"Oh, please..." The clone seemed insulted. "This is a mere normal _Cero_, roughly estimated to be 30% of my actual power"

Ishida widened his eyes at that revelation, wondering if such a claim was true or was just a strategy so that he would doubt himself.

"That can't be true" He frowned.

"But it is. Unless you are so ignorant as to blind yourself from the truth" The clone mocked him. "Do as you wish. They say 'fools live in paradise', so you might find heaven in ignorance just before I turn you into a research subject"

"Huh? I believe we already did that, Szayel 2" The original one spoke.

"Pfft... That demonstration you got your data from was a most pitiful attempt of study" The clone criticized. "And also, that name seems really inappropriate and lacking of originality. I think I'd rather be called Cien. Cien Granz, remembering my past position as the strongest Espada"

"What?!" Szayelaporro was surprised to be judged by his own creation.

"Just as you heard. Your poor imagination and vision has made your method of research incomplete. I can tell that Quincies have a lot more to offer with the naked eye" Cien praised himself.

"Well, if they have so much to offer, I guess there won't be a problem in me joining this battle, just so I can show you how pointless it is" Szayelaporro stepped into the battlefield.

"Let's head to a more... Desolate area if that's the case" Cien proposed, actually helping Ishida.

"Why? He's clearly at a disadvantage here" Szayel complained.

"Which is why we can't study him properly for fuck's sake" A more violent personality resurfaced.

"What did you just say?" Szayel seemed worried about that sudden change.

"I swore. Is that so damn surprising to you?" Cien appeared to be confused. "Yylfordt's Reiryoku is a part of me, it's only natural that I'm a bit more hot-headed than you are. But if you're worried about that, you're being quite shortsighted. I'm a far better researcher, even with a tad of violence running through my veins, and I'm going to prove that under the right conditions"

"So... You're willing to go to a place where I can use all of my power?" Uryuu inquired.

"Exactly, Quincy. Let's give this poor apprentice a lesson" Cien giggled.

"Apprentice...?" Szayel was at his limit. "Very well... We'll see who is right after I turn that Quincy to smithereens, proving that there was nothing more valuable to discover about him and his race!"

"Whatever... Looks like I'm gonna have to pull it off somehow" Ishida decided. "With my full power, I should be more than capable of eliminating the original Szayelaporro, but... Will I be able to do it if I'm fighting the two?" He thought carefully.

"I see you felt this bastard's presence too!" A familiar voice said.

"Abarai!" He shifted his look towards the Shinigami as he arrived.

"How you doin' Ishida? By now I thought you whould have already destroyed a weakling like this with your new-" He stopped right on his tracks as he realized the problem at hand. "Oi... Am I seeing double? I might have to ask you to spare me a pair of those" He pointed at the Quincy's glasses.

"It won't be necessary, as I'm afraid that it's not your imagination" Uryuu clarified. "This is reality"

"Are you kidding me that this guy also had a way of cloning himself? I mean, he did clone us all last time" He could bitterly remember their fight.

"This is different. It's not an imitation, or a worn down copy. In fact, it is more powerful than the real one" Uryuu revealed. "Check their Reiatsu if you have any doubt.

"No fucking way, it's true!" Renji noticed. "How is this...?"

"I don't understand much, but it seems that Arrancar was able to replicate Szayelaporro after he embedded memories and Reiatsu in her" Ishida explained what he could, directing his eyes at Roka, who had now returned to her base form to recover her Reiatsu.

"And yet another miserable ant joins in" Szayel noted scornfully.

"Ant? Heh... If that's what you think, fine by me" The Shinigami chuckled. "But you're in for a surprise"

"The Shinigami has also increased his powers, so this is a very interesting opportunity" Cien knew better. "I can't wait any longer. Quincy, Shinigami, Roka and... Poorer version of me, let's head towards a proper location and commence this experiment!"

~~~~X~~~~

"How is she?!" Grimmjow asked Orihime about Harribel just as she finished healing her.

"She'll be fine, don't worry. All she needs now is a good rest" She smiled at him, also happy to see that she could save her. "I'm glad I could do something but... There's something bothering me about her wound"

Ulquiorra's posture showed his discomfort as soon as the girl noticed.

"What is it?" Grimmjow asked back, although he knew where they were getting.

"After the battle in Karakura, I earned a lot of experience looking at the wounds from both Shinigami and Arrancar that remained on the field, and before that, I also learned a lot from Soul Society so... I can easily recognize the damage caused by Zanpakutou, and this was not only caused by one of them, but there was a trace of an ominous Reiatsu" She commented. "I thought of the possibility that the Horseman used it against you but... You were all in your _Resurrección._ What happened up there?"

"I believe the right question would be... _Who_ did this?" Grimmjow corrected, causing Orihime's eyes to widen in shock. "To which I cannot reply. Your boyfriend won't let me"

She tilted her head towards Ulquiorra.

"Who did this, Ulquiorra?" She asked using his name, which clearly denoted the seriousness of her question.

Ulquiorra sighed as he had no choice. He couldn't hide the truth from her eyes, even less now that she could feel his emotions and would easily know if he was hiding something.

"The only Espada that wasn't on our side" He answered painfully. "It was _her_, Orihime"

"But... But...!" Tears escaped her eyes as she realized what that meant. "Harribel and her were..."

"Inseparable" Grimmjow completed. "You think I'm not shocked? That skank... She did this to Tier out of pure jealousy!"

"I remind you that she's not our friend, Grimmjow" Ulquiorra clarified. "There's no point in feeling betrayed. That's not Nelliel and you know it"

"Well, that just means she wasn't strong enough to defeat her own darkness!" He spat back, irrationally. "How could she ever do that for such an idiotic reason? She knows Ichigo only loves HER! What was the fucking point?!" He hit the wall with his fist, cracking it and scaring a pair of Shinigami that were passing by.

"I have to kindly disagree..." Another voice joined the conversation.

"You...!" Grimmjow easily recognized one of his rivals.

"Hi, Orihime-chan, and, you too... Emo Espada"

"Emo...?" Ulquiorra tilted his head with pure confusion.

"What do you mean, masked Shinigami?" Grimmjow insisted.

"Look, if it wasn't for Dark Nelliel, as I heard they call her... We wouldn't be alive right now" Shinji informed. "Her mind and spirit are anything but weak. In fact, if she hadn't been Ichigo's girlfriend when I met her, I wouldn't have doubted asking her for a date, heheh... But now that's completely out of the question" He shook his head as he said: "*sigh* The last thing I would want is a sadist Yandere like that... I have more than enough with Hiyori"

"So... Hirako-san" Inoue got his attention. "She actually saved you from a Horseman?"

"Precisely, and she said it clearly. She didn't attack us cause we're dear to Ichigo. Whatever reason she had to attack her, must be something involving him as well, but in a negative manner"

"She said it was because Ichigo found Tier attractive, and she couldn't stand it" Grimmjow revealed.

"Like I thought... Pure Yandere behaviour. Scary..." He remembered the way in which she tortured Mitsuyo. "But the point stands. She might be crazy, but she loves Ichigo... I wonder if he can work with that"

"He can" Another man joined. "If he's clever enough to get what I told him, he totally can"

"*whistle* Looks like you stumbled upon a really dangerous individual, Kisuke" Shinji commented, looking at his wounds. "Did you fight a Horseman too? Or maybe you aimed for the head...?" He grinned.

"No... My deal was more... Personal, if anything. Ichigo was the one that saved me, actually, as I was running out of ways and Yoruichi-san was not here to save my lazy ass, hahaha" He chuckled as he scratched the back of his head.

"Wait. So you mean, there's an actual way of getting Nelliel back to how she was?" Ulquiorra inquired hopeful.

"Um... I wonder if that's a possibility. After all... This Nelliel is, apart from the Darkness, a complete being born out of her two personalities"

"So... Even if Ichigo saves her from the Dark Core, Nel-san won't be the same?" Orihime asked, worried that her friend would be lost forever.

"It is a possibility we cannot discard" Urahara replied with honesty. "But don't worry, Inoue-san" He smiled. "She won't ever stop loving him. That is a given"

"Kurosaki-kun..." She was still really worried about him.

While her romantic feelings had faded away, her heart would never abandon their deep bond of friendship.

"If what you say is true, she better do something for Tier when she returns" Grimmjow concluded. "She owes her, a damn lot after this"

"Well, that is a matter she will have to solve with her on her own, don't you agree?" Kisuke retorted.

"Hey, Urahara-san..." Ulquiorra spoke.

"What is it, Cifer-san?" He asked back.

"How do you know... The truth about Nelliel?" He inquired. "I believe that was something Nageki-san told me and Ichigo only"

"Well, about that..." He scratched his cheek nervously as he started sweating a bit. "I worked along with Nageki-san to develop a countermeasure to free her from the Dark Core's influence, so I ended up finding out" He swiftly dodged conflict, telling a half-lie, since the last part was true, but he knew way before that happened.

"Oh, I see..." Ulquiorra was content with that reply. "What did you create, anyway?"

"It is a chemical that rejects Negative Energy. It may sound simple, but due to the incalculable amount that was stored in it, we needed a catalyst that increased its effect..."

Ulquiorra deduced what that was, as he had heard what Dark Nelliel's objective was from her, in person.

"Blood" He said.

"Precisely" Urahara nodded. "Which is why the final product was a pill that I gave to Ichigo. All he had to do was eat it and let Dark Nelliel quench her thirst... I bet this sounds like a Vampire Novel, ahahaha!" He couldn't help but laugh.

"So Nel-san could... Go back to being our friend once again" Orihime was filled with happiness and relief just from the hope that washed over her as she heard that.

"If Ichigo doesn't die in the process" Grimmjow noted the only possible flaw.

"Welp, I won't deny that our plan consisted on her making the right choices as well... But something tells me it'll work out" He concluded. "Now, *cough* Inoue-san..."

"Yes?" She wondered.

"Would you mind healing me a bit, I think I'm... *cough* *cough* 'bout to pass out" He smiled carelessly as blood came out of his mouth.

~~~~X~~~~

"Nelliel... We... Did it..." Nageki smiled as he spat a bit of blood.

"Yeah..." She sighed in relief, not feeling the presence of Yama anymore. "Oh my God, you're dying!"

"Heh, I guess I had to use a lot of my own blood... To be able to seal such a powerful weapon" He panted.

"Don't worry, I'll heal you and then, you can go back to Las Noches with us!" She smiled at that prospect. "I'm sure Ichigo will be more than happy to have you as his scientist! Unless of course..." Her smile became a bit sad. "You still desire to bring your life to an end"

Nageki was amused to see her so forgiving after his past mistakes.

"Hey, Nelliel... Did you by any chance lose your-"

"I know, Nageki" She replied before he could finish. "I remember it all. A part of me is still angry because of what you did back then... But I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm a new 'me' of some sorts, so you don't have to feel guilty" She assured him. "The fact that I'm grateful for that is still a greater feeling than any contempt I might have stored deep within my heart"

"I'm... I'm glad to hear that..." He smiled as well.

"So if you want to continue your research on Wholes..." She put her hands on the center of her chest. "We'll be glad to help you"

Nageki chuckled at how things had turned about. Suddenly, everything seemed to be a new world. The possibility of experiencing a wholesome life even after all those eons, surprisingly, was still a tempting offer.

"I guess... I could give it a try" He tenderly looked at her with his fuchsia eyes, proud to see what she had become.

But then, in that same moment, a chaotic slash went through the sky, distorting the space around it.

He didn't have time to mutter a single word as he sprinted towards Nelliel, pushing her out of the way to save her.

With blood still oozing out of his arms, there was a clear choice in what attack he would have to use.

"_Gran Rey Cero Luna!" _He blasted a shining white Cero with a silver lining, just like his Reiatsu.

Nel's reaction, to her own surprise, was using a technique she had never even tried, but that her body simply forced her to do, not to protect herself, but to save his beloved.

"_Barrera Negación!" _She created a tower of pink Reiatsu that acted as a force field.

Nageki saw one of his arms flying away as he failed to counter.

"My... That was pretty strong" The voice of the Demon King said with his unmistakable scorn. "Just the right amount to tickle me"

"Yama! How in the world...?!" Nageki whimpered.

"No... Did you really think I would've died with that?" He smirked.

A crown of black horns rose from his head, his white and black hair falling to the length of his feet, five black demon wings and five white feathered wings growing out of his back, while the uncovered light-gray skin of his torso had ancient markings of the Old gods, an Eye of Chaos in its center.

His legs were covered by a dark energy that served as a robe, and by his side, a giant spectral blade with the same Eye of Chaos floated around. It was _Lucifer_ in its awakened form.

"Damn you... I never thought you would survive such power just by releasing your Kamibuki..." Nageki frowned.

"Before I got hold of that treasure, that would've been true, but now... Now that I finally took the power that my failure of a father concealed from me...! Now there's no force that can stop me!" He grinned as he imagined the catastrophe he was about to bring upon all that he hated. "Now that I cannot absorb any more energy through conventional means, killing the Soul King will be a mere formality, a declaration of war, cause I believe I'm more than capable of attacking not only Takemagahara, but Tentei as well!"

"And after that, what comes next? You'll go back to Hueco Mundo to savor its destruction, won't you?" Nageki spat.

"But of course! Although... I could erase my despicable half-brother right away" He smirked as he saw Ichigo, still unconscious.

The alchemist saw Nel's desperate look, as she had consumed a lot of her Reiatsu in using _Barrera __Negación_.

"No..." Nageki denied. "I won't let you..."

"Hahaha... You must be joking" Yama mocked him.

"I'll sacrifice my body, my blood, my being... I'll use even the last bit of Reiryoku in order to stop you if that's what it takes! But I... I won't allow you to destroy him, or Nelliel, or anyone else! Not until my soul is dead..."

"Well, in that case... Why won't you just go ahead and die?!" Yama commanded _Lucifer_ to attack with another space-distorting slash, the Chaos Reiatsu fragmenting reality itself with its pressure, causing their surroundings to collapse.

Nageki grinned as he found the right moment to use it.

The one and only.

His Final Weapon.

_"Demiurgus"_

A staff of intertwined ebony and birch wood, encircled by a color-shifting energy appeared out of the void in Nageki's chest.

The energy seemed to transmute the very space around it, balancing the unstable atmosphere around _Lucifer._

"Ho? That's something I didn't see the day I doomed Hueco Mundo for the first time..."

"This simply shows my determination..." Nageki coughed blood. "_Demiurgus_ holds an unfathomable power... But it comes at a price" His eyes shined with his will to protect that bond he didn't completely understand, but he cherished above all else. "If I dare use its full potential, my life will be entirely consumed... However... That holds no meaning in this moment, does it?"

"No, you're right about that. I believe this last stand won't have any effect or meaning either but, go ahead, despair before my very eyes before your immortal heretic life reaches its pathetic end" Yama challenged.

Nageki simply stood his ground as he waited for the God's next move.

Yama chuckled as he snapped his fingers to order his phantasmagoric sword to slice relentlessly in an intent to kill Nageki once and for all.

The multi-colored Reiatsu flew around the place, both protecting and attacking back with various kinds of explosions.

"Nageki... Were you always this strong?" Nel wondered as she held Ichigo in her arms, thinking about the possibility of helping his friend. "He's having a rough time..." She bit her lip. "But I can't leave Ichigo alone!"

"And you won't" A man's voice said. "It's time to repay the favor"

She had forgotten about him, since they had parted ways a long while ago, but there couldn't have been a better moment for him to show up.

"You are... The Fallen Angel, Arikado-san!"

"Yeah... Unfortunately, I was practically useless against Yama due to his energy-absorbing capabilities... So I ended up helping him more than harming him. So... Would you allow me to be truly useful? If you don't trust me, I understand"

She doubted for a moment, but it was clear to her in the end.

"Ichigo saved you for a reason..." She replied. "So I'm gonna trust his judgement"

"Really? Thank you Miss Tu Odelschwanck, or would you rather have me call you Mrs. Kurosaki?" He inquired, making Nel blush.

"Kuro...saki...!" She got flustered by the mere thought of taking Ichigo's surname. "Just... Nelliel is fine!" She quickly replied. "Now, Arikado-san... I leave him in your hands" She concluded, serious once again.

"I know. I will not fail you, Queen Nelliel" He vowed.

She nodded in reply, proceeding to gallop into the fierce battle between the two sempiternal beings.

"I can't erase my mistakes..." Nel muttered as she charged towards the Demon King, passing by Nageki's side as she remembered all the atrocious acts she committed during her time as Dark Nelliel. "But I won't bend, I won't break! This is who I've become... What once was weak is now strong!" She convinced herself, preparing _Mordred_.

Yama was surprised that she still had energy left, dodging with difficulty while she was stabbing restlessly on one end, Nageki firing explosive blasts of Reiatsu on the other.

"Tch... You won't give up, will you? How unfortunate... No choice but to exterminate you like the fucking plague you are!" Yama lost his patience. "_Divus Pennae Ex Tragoedia!"_

Multiple vortexes opened around the battlefield as _Lucifer_ danced through the air.

Each vortex blasted a beam of Chaotic Energy at them, their destructive capabilities comparable to a _Gran Rey Cero Luna_, each and every one of them.

Nelliel attempted to absorb a couple of them with _Dullahan_, but unfortunately for her, it was far more than she could handle alone.

"Nelliel!" Nageki exclaimed as he protected her from three simultaneous lasers.

"Shit..." She frowned as she realized her mistake. "I knew I'd just be an annoyance..."

"That's not true, Nelliel. I don't blame you. We're facing a master strategist and possibly the strongest being that exists in this current moment. I can't ask you a perfect performance like you usually achieve, so don't doubt yourself. You're really powerful" Nageki refuted. "C'mon. I _need_ your help"

"Nageki..." Her eyes glistened as she heard that. "Yes! _Lanza de Luz Gamuza!" _She attacked Yama with her own beams of Reiatsu, the pink light illuminatingthe dark skies around them.

"It's time to make a greater sacrifice" Nageki decided, bracing to use a tremendous amount of Reiryoku in order to create the miracle of alchemy in a matter of seconds. "Crimson Stone... Ebony Stone... Bring forth... The Philosopher's Stone!" He combined the materials and covered the crystal in blood. "And now... _Gran Rey Cero: Alquimista!"_

As he received the combined attack, Yama couldn't say that he was feeling tickles anymore. However, it wasn't enough to beat him, not nearly enough.

"Tch... You pests! I won't be killed by the likes of you!" He spouted angrily, enchanting a new spell, one that collapsed the matter around him, creating a destructive wave of colossal magnitude. "_Dies Iræ!"_

Nel felt as close to death as she possibly could, staring at the attack with deafened ears, the world around her becoming slower and slower, and the only thought crossing his mind was that of Ichigo.

"No... I can't leave this world just yet... I can't leave you like this, not after everything I've done... My love..."

And once again, the one that came to save her was none other than Nakagawa Nageki.

"It's just like you said, Nelliel" He said as he stood in front of her, not looking back. "I've stared from a window looking outside, sometimes I wanna just die... I feel like I'm rotting from the inside, too much has passed me on by..." He started emanating a rainbow aura with a silver lining. "I can't keep living life like this, there's too many things that I have missed... With these words I'll make one last wish, so take my regret and grant me life's kiss..." He decided to protect her until the very end, staring at the distortion in front of him. "As I look at myself in the mirror, I have never seen my life so clear. This is the face of what I have become... I'll accept fate, and refuse to run!" He created a multicolored barrier that, at the same time, blasted a beam greater than any Cero she had ever seen, possibly only matched by Ichigo's _Gran Rey Cero: Luna Llena. _

_"**Dualis Flamel**!"_

"Nageki..."

"This is who I am!" He exclaimed as he ised his most powerful attack, consuming even the last remaining ember of Reiryoku remaining in his body. "I can't erase my mistakes..." He borrowed Nelliel's words. "But I won't bend! I won't break!" He continued attacking without hesitation, his body still standing due to sheer willpower. "Ashes... To ashes... Dust to dust... I will make it all come to an end in order to protect the thing I treasure the most!" He saw his long-diseased friends inside his mind, followed by all the new ones he had made.

In that moment, he felt it. Like an explosion inside of him, uncontainable, unbreakable, unstoppable!

Emotion.

Emotion born out of his desire to save all those he had come to cherish.

With a smile drawn upon his face, filled with that which he had missed for all those millions of years...

Nageki bid farewell to his life. Feeling the warm embrace of his friendship with all those he decided to sacrifice himself for.

"Goodbye to you all... Make this sacrifice the foundation of the new reign, Ichigo, Nelliel..." He wished them. "I'm coming, everyone"

Nageki's body became a shiny dust that formed part of the attack, disintegrating completely as it transformed into pure energy.

"Nageki...!" Nel extended her hand with tears in her eyes, trying to reach him as he disappeared into the void of destruction.

Yama was shocked as well, frozen in pure disbelief that even with all his power, Nageki had managed to not only even one of his most destructive techniques, but surpass it and deal him massive damage.

"Kgh... No fucking way...!" He grinded his teeth. "How could he have this much power?!"

As the explosion ceased, like a reverse eclipse with fading colors of the rainbow, the two remaining combatants were sent flying into opposite directions.

Arikado protected Ichigo so that he would not get damaged by the expansive wave, at the same time as he commanded a swarm of locusts to catch and secure Nel.

She was surprised to be caught in the air by a force as soft as a cloud, or at least that's what it felt like for her.

"These are... Arikado-san's locusts!" She realized, amazed by how something that once had been menace turned into her salvation.

On the other end, however, stood a badly wounded Yama, enraged beyond belief after withstanding Nageki's suicidal tactic.

"That bastard... Now I understand" He analyzed the previous event. "His attack didn't match mine, it used it to overpower itself beyond its capabilities, thus became able to damage my ultimate body"

"What...?" Nel noticed the resilient shadow of the Demon King, still alive even after her friend's sacrifice. "It can't be!" She cried out of pure rage, not standing how the God made such an attempt futile in the grand scheme of things.

Yama frowned frantically as he pressed his fangs against each other, charging towards Nelliel with the single intent to kill her once and for all.

"I'm tired of all this shit! I'll just kill you all and get this over with!"

"Go ahead and try! I WON'T LET NAGEKI'S LIFE BE FOR NAUGHT!" Once again, she used all the power she had managed to obtain from Yama's attacks. "_**Promesa Rota**!"_

Yama made _Lucifer _clash with _Mordred_ as he continued his attempt, determined to end her life in that moment, no matter at what cost.

"_Deus Ex Machina!" _He used the same explosion he had used on Ulquiorra back in Jigoku, but with the new level of power he had attained.

Nel used _Dullah__an,_ trying to protect herself from most of the explosion's damage, but she was at her limit, not even the locusts were able to defend her any further.

"Argh!" She was sent flying into the ruins of the Castle in the Sky.

"Stop resisting! Stop clinging to life! Be grateful that I'll send both YOU and my god damned sibling to the afterlife!" Yama spat at her, wanting to make her give up.

"And be reborn in a world ruled by you? I'd rather die knowing that I did everything I could so that didn't happen"

"Exercises of futility, that's all you're doing. Just like a fish out of the water! You. Have. Lost!!!" He got hold of _Lucifer_, ready to slash her into oblivion. "NOW DIE!!!!!"

And just as the sword came down, an explosion of black and red Reiatsu blinded her.

With a slamming pressure of Reiatsu...

With a tension you could taste in the atmosphere...

With a sword of pure black Reiatsu in his hand, the King saved his beloved Queen from her brush with death.

"Ichigo!" She cried his name, ecstatic to see him awake and as strong as ever.

"For what I seem to grasp... This is what that strange pill did..." He thought, trying to focus on not letting Yama's blade advance any further, but still digressing over what had occurred before.

Why was he alive?

Why was Nel fighting Yama if she hadn't consumed him?

How did her hazel eyes return...?

All those enigmas were viciously intriguing him, but now was clearly not the moment to think about that.

"And so you've decided to face me in the final battle, my dear brother, heheheh... Ahahahahaha! Could this be any more perfect?"

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not here for you or for some heroic reason like my destiny or some shit like that" He said, his voice distorted as his head was covered by the draconic skull. "First, I'm here to avenge Mugetsu. But by far, the reason I'm gonna destroy you, is for what you did to Nel" He declared.

"Ichi..." She gasped.

"I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" He swung his blade with pure hatred, pushing Yama away.

"Tsk... That makes us two!" Yama spat back. "I fucking hate you! I will erase you! You are dead to me!" An unknown power rose inside of him as he charged back against the Arrancar.

"_Mugetsu!" _Ichigo forced him to step back as he used such a destructive attack.

"Kgh..." Yama withstood it as best as he could with his own sword.

"Nel, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here right now" Ichigo told her. "Even while you were... Tainted by the darkness" He said that part bitterly. "It is thanks to you that I came this far"

"Ichigo..." She tenderly said as she smiled, feeling fulfilled as she had been able to protect him.

"You did great, Nel. As always, I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me... But right now, I need you to go back with Arikado" He concluded. "This is something I must settle with him on my own"

"I understand..." She complied, knowing that it was pointless trying to insist when she didn't have any considerable strength left. "Oh and... Our Whole Link... It's back so... I'll make sure to give you all the power I can, Ichigo"

"I can't describe how happy hearing that makes me" He smiled, seeing the light back in the lance and surprised to see the mark of a shield being added as well.

"That bastard..." Nel directed her look at Yama's position. "He got the Heart of tsukoyomi... And Nageki died trying to protect us from him, so... Please... Don't let his sacrifice be in vain"

"Is that so?" Ichigo clenched his fist around his Zanpakutou and the Reiatsu blade, earning yet another reason to finish this dreadful conflict. "I promise that won't be the case..."

Nel went back to her base form, saving the little power she had left, and before leaving she hugged him from behind, and planted a kiss on his neck, as his head wasn't reachable.

"I love you... So you MUST come back to me... Alive" She demanded, although she knew the unpredictable and dangerous nature of the situation they were immersed in.

"Don't worry" He dissolved the sword of Reiatsu to reach her face, caressing it gently as he stared at her hazel eyes through the eyes of the dragon skull. "After all we've been through... I wouldn't dare letting this monster take another single thing from us, let alone the whole life we have ahead of us" He passed his fingers through her sea-green hair. "Now go" He put his hand on top of her skull. "This'll be over real quick"

She couldn't help but giggle as he used the same phrase she told him after saving him from Nnoitra, the "**0**" on his back proudly showing as he turned his back on her, ready to put an end to Yama's rebellion.

* * *

**Sorry for the delay, but I won't lie, aside from the effort this Chapter meant, I've also been playing a lot of guitar and watching Anime, in addition to my online classes (which suck, but I gotta work with that), so I haven't been entirely focused writing.**

**We're reaching the end, most probably Chapter 45 will be the final one, so brace yourselves.**

**As I said before, we ARE continuing with this story in the future, but give me a little while to rest, investigate and inspire myself to bring the best work I possibly can.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Wow! Great work! Definitely loved this! That's for darn sure! And I must say, I really liked all the twists you have put in by far! You've constantly caught me off guard with your tricks! I have to say, you're quite similar to Aizen in that regard. Lol. Only a much better guy obviously. Ha!_**

**_But I digress. I look forward to more that is for sure!_**

**_Also, I found it very interesting back in the Human World, that Szayelaporro has some sort of backup plan to revive himself and fully break his chains to Hell. Am I correct that the Fraccioné he was talking to, will create a clone body for him, and he'll use his Gabriel technique on it to revive himself on the "mortal plane"?_**

**Reply: Similar to Aizen, eh? Nah, I'm just a lonely incel who dreams of fantasy worlds and Anime waifus... Or maybe I mean to give you that impression only to reveal to be even more cunning than Aizen... ~fufufufufufufu~**

**In the second note you were half-correct. While Roka is able to create a clone using the data Szayel stored in her threads, Szayel himself can't use _Gabriel_ (neither directly or indirectly) to come back to life, as he is in a different state. When he uses that ability, it is because he is still 'alive' in Soul terms, so what he could do was use this ability to heal himself endlessly, but his current state won't change. All Togabito are bound to the Chains of Hell, it's just that right now, due to Yama's schemes, this chain will not force them back into Hell, but that will be solved soon enough.**

**See you next time, in the Final Battle!**

**Evhron out.**

**P.S: I'm not really an incel because I don't think women are sexual objects or anything. Women in general are beautiful intelligent beings I don't really understand, but I admire greatly. I don't think my personality sucks either, but I have trouble with social interaction in general so... That's the way it goes, but I'm fine, really.**


	44. The Dark Eternal Night

Yama would not give up.

A plan that had been carefully designed for eras.

A chance for which he had waited his whole immortal life.

A golden opportunity, to destroy that reality that had made him miserable since the day of his birth.

"I can't lose... After everything I've done... After everything WE sacrificed...!" The Demon King spat enraged. "I will find a way to destroy you and everyone else! I will be a God above them all... I will design a new world... One where I don't ever have to see your face, or my mother's, or any of the gods' that treated me like shit because of who my father once was!"

The two clashed against the other, fiercely slashing, slicing and dicing relentlessly on an intent to hack the other apart.

"And you think I have any intention of giving up? After all the things you've done?!" Ichigo angrily spat back, stabbing a hand in one of his horns for the blood to do its magic. "If you think I'm some model hero that came back to defeat you and forgive you afterwards... Go dream somewhere else. _Gran Rey Cero: Luna Llena!"_

The white light beam was fired at point blank range, menacing to erase anything that crossed its path.

Yama grinned madly as he received the attack, countering with _Deus Ex Machina _and _Oculus Ex Inferni._

Ichigo was surprised that despite his current power, Yama was able to withstand his attacks. In fact, it appeared that his Reiatsu was increasing as time went by.

"What's going on...?!" Ichigo thought as he realized that serious problem.

"Heheheh... It looks like you finally realized it" The Demon King smirked, his serious wounds slowly healing. "The power of the Heart of Tsukoyomi is too great, so my body hasn't been able to assimilate it all just yet, but don't you worry, by the time I make it my own, you and your friends will be nothing more than dust!"

"No choice then... I'll erase you before you get that chance!" Ichigo focused to use his most destructive technique yet. "_**Eclipse Anular**!"_

The black hole-like sphere made its way towards Yama, who easily understood the threat it posed, as well as what was his only chance to survive it.

"This might take its toll... But it's better than dying by your hand!" The enemy frowned, bracing to surpass his own limits. "_Dies Irae!"_

Using the same Chaotic technique that had almost taken Nel's life and had costed Nageki his own, Yama channeled it all towards the space-distorting sphere that was coming his way.

Ichigo was calm at first, thinking that there was no possible way that would work, but Yama kept unleashing more and more Spiritual Pressure to increase the strength of his attack.

"You gotta be kidding me...!" He muttered, now worried as to what would happen if he survived, as he had deposited all his strength in creating that attack, with the idea of ending it all.

Yama however, wouldn't dare give him that pleasure, no. He would struggle until the very end in order to make his hated sibling as miserable as he possibly could.

After all the pain he had gone through... He couldn't tolerate it.

_"Hey look, it's one of the sons of Amaterasu-sama__" A young God pointed out as Sorayama arrived at one of the gardens to play._

_"Oh... You shouldn't get close to him" The other retorted. "You see... He's the son of a banished God, that can't be a good omen, can it?"_

_"Scary... We should probably stay away"_

_"Yeah. Like father like son... He must be a total freak"_

_Sorayama tried to reach out to them with a single hand, but no words came out of his mouth. Instead, tears started coming out of his eyes__._

It had been harsh, but he had managed to overcome that by learning to play alone, or sometimes, with his half-brother, Ren.

However, life had yet to show him an even greater disappointment in his early adulthood...

_"What do you mean that our job is done, mother?" He inquired about the change in administration of the Mortal Realms._

_"Humans and Mortal Souls in general have developed enough to be able to work on their own. It was their idea to create a useful system for that matter actually"_

_"But, how can you even consider letting them? They are infer-"_

_"They have the same right to exist as we do, Sorayama" Amaterasu made clear__, her black hair turning white as she raised her voice. "That pride... Is the very reason why your Father was banished, don't you forget that"_

_"It's different. He believed himself to be superior to other Gods of our same status. We're talking about Mortals here. How can you possibly tolerate that they do as they please?"_

_"Look, Sorayama" She sighed, her hair coming back to normal. "I don't have it so clear to tell the truth, but just like Susano'o and I helped to establish the world of Humans and Souls, Tsukoyomi also created a race of his own, and he gave them freedom. How can I act any differently?"_

_"Wait. What did he do...?" Yama's eyes widened with indignation._

_"It's not important. What matters is-"_

_"Of course it's important! Are you telling me that he just forgot about me and decided to move on, having a blast creating mortal creatures in his image?"_

_"I can't deny that" Amaterasu simply replied, as she had always told him that Tsukoyomi was simply not interested in being a father, and thus he never tried to see him, which was a complete lie._

_"That old man...! And you're following his steps!" He spat as he angrily exited the room. "How can everyone be so damn content with mediocrity...? We were born to rule! I was told my whole life I was made for that matter and I won't allow anyone to take that purpose away from me!"_

It was the only meaning his life had, and it was being stolen from his hands, even after all the hardships he had to endure.

He wouldn't face that disappointment again. That was a vow he made to himself after being banished into the depths of Hell... A dark place that had nothing in it, not until he and his fellow Angels arrived to change that.

Out of the darkness, he was born. His first Demon, given the condition of Majin just like the Princes would receive afterwards. Kurokage, holder of one of Yama's hearts, and thus superior to the Oni that would come after.

Unknown to Ichigo, Yama had a lot more conviction and will than he appeared. In plain sight, he was just another powerful man maddened with the delusion of becoming an even greater being and controlling it all, but that was a mere means to an end.

The swallowing orb slowly started disappearing as it swallowed the last remaining forces Yama had used in taking his _Dies __Irae_ to the maximum.

~~~~X~~~~

Ishida and Renji continued their battle against the two Szayel's, although one was clearly more dangerous than the other.

"Ahahahaha, that's it! Can you see now the grave mistake you've made with this Quincy?" Cien told Szayel as he fought Ishida in his prime. "He's matching a nearly unstoppable force like me! This is unseen!"

"Maybe... But it doesn't change the fact that their evolution only goes so far" Szayel retorted. "We're most likely seeing the zenith of Quincy abilities"

"Probably you should stop whining 'bout Quincies and pay attention to the Shinigami you have in front of you!" Renji told him as he punched him with the giant ape-like arm, sending hin flying.

"Kgh... How did he get this strong?" Szayel frowned. "It was about two months ago that we had fought, and he was nothing but a weakling"

"Heh, I can tell by the look in your eyes that you have no idea why I'm putting you in such a peril after the last time we saw each other, huh?" Renji chuckled.

"Don't be so proud, Shinigami. Your species and that human's cannot come even close to perfection!"

"And you can...? Cause I'm starting to think you're the most imperfect of them all!"

"Pfft... And what proof do you have?"

"Your death" Renji said with a determined look that, somehow, even managed to send shivers down Szayel's spine. "Sou'ou Zabimaru... _Zaga Teppou!"_

Meanwhile, Ishida alternated between Seele Schneider and _Heilig Kreutz _to fight the superior clone, who was now slowly increasing the amount of power in his attacks, wanting to measure just how powerful was Ishida, and in conclusion, a Quincy.

"Marvelous indeed, Quincy. If you keep fighting like this, I'll be forced to show you MY _Gran Rey Cero._ Just imagine it, the _Gran Rey __Cero_, of a Cero Espada... How does that make you feel?"

"Important or special is clearly not the word I'mlooking for, but I do appreciate that you've come to acknowledge the Quincies" Uryuu retorted.

"Ho?" The clone stopped for a moment.

"What is it?" Ishida inquired.

"I see, that's the reason why Szayelaporro didn't want to come to this place" Cien looked towards the parallel fight.

"I see... Renji did it" Uryuu said impressed, seeing how the Shinigami had left the diseased Espada in a deplorable state, unable to even move.

"As there were no living beings in this area, he is unable to use _Gabriel_, and of course, you already know he can do that, so you wouldn't let him"

"True..." Ishida agreed with him. "So, are you gonna continue fighting?" He asked him.

"Hm? We're doing an experiment. Why would we cease?" Cien seemed insulted. "I'm not some amateur scientist that would leave an investigation just because his partner or his mentor is as ggoodas dead. In fact, in a complicated way, I should be considered _his_ mentor"

"Well I'm afraid that we're not gonna allow you to do whatever you want either" Ishida said, as Renji joined him.

"I've been fighting the whole day, let's put an end to this" Renji stretched his neck.

"Well, this is interesting. It's not like I wanted to test the Quincy's power only, but it is an external factor I'm not sure I wanted to add just yet"

"This is a fight, pal, you can't expect things to go the way you want'em to"

"Fight? I believed this was an experiment. But if you continue to insist on defiling it with your insatiable desire for violence... I'll gladly comply" He smirked. "_Gran Rey-"_

"C...Cero-sama!!!" The Fracción yelled, making the three look at her.

"Huh? What's the matter, Roka?" He asked back.

"There's no need to go any further. Look... The Quincy already made you go this far, and the Shinigami easily defeated Szayelaporro-sama"

"So... What is your point?" He inquired confused.

"That... That there so much more you can research without needing to die again" Roka seemed worried. "You see... I've been purposeless ever since Szayelaporro-sama was killed. I can't... I can't imagine that feeling once again... The emptiness, the lack of motive... I can't bear it!" She cried. "Even if I'm just a tool for experimentation... I want to be of use to you. And by creating you, I already used all the data Szayel-"

"Hey, stop for a moment" Renji interrupted. "I don't care how lonely or sad you feel on your own, or how deranged you must be to believe that would be considered a life but... Do you really think we can let him go just like that after knowing how dangerous he is?"

"I agree with Renji. Knowing the other one... You can't expect us to leave him be. He is a model scientist, but he doesn't hold a speck of empathy or common sense in him. He's dangerous for us all" Uryuu added.

"See, Roka? There is no path but to conclude this experiment" Cien chuckled. "I guess you'll have to learn the way of the scientist on your own..."

The three became ready to end it all, but she would not stop.

"Why is everyone so damn selfish?" She asked herself. "Why is everyone so blind?" She wondered. "Why can't anyone...? See... Me..." She finished thinking, a memory coming back to her.

_"Hm..." A man dressed up in a really weird outfit froze in place as he stared at her._

_"You can... See me?" She asked the Human._

_"But of course I can! I'm the great hero... DON KANONJI! BOHAHAHAHA!"_

_"Uh... Uhahahahahaha!" Roka bursted in laughter due to the unexpected encounter._

_"And... Despite your harmless appearance, I can tell you are nothing less than..." He took a deep breath. "A powerful guardian spirit!" He pointed his finger at her._

_Roka looked at him in confusion, knowing that Arrancar were not precisely known for their good deeds anywhere, although it was pretty much true in her case._

_"__Eh?"_

_"You can't fool me, I can see it in your eyes..." He came closer. "Although I also see... Doubt, worry, and other stuff like that"_

_"Wow, maybe he does know more than I expected at the beginning" Roka thought.__ "I... I feel like I don't have a purpose... Not anymore at least"_

_"Don't worry. Everyone feels like that at some point in their lives, losing direction or meaning... But don't let that thought get you to despair. We lead our own lives! Having a purpose or not rests completely in our choices!"_

_"It's just that... All I used to be, depended on someone that's gone... I have no idea what it means to have a choice of my own"_

_"Hm... That is certainly more troublesome. But in that case, I'll tell you what to do: Whenever you find something that you desire, don't let it go. No matter what odds go against you, you're just gonna go ahead and take it by any means necessary" Don Kanonji revealed. "I can feel it in my bones, girl! You've got potential, you've got power! So be strong and use that to find and take your purpose with your own hands!"_

_Roka was shocked at first, not understanding completely what the man was trying to say, but in spite of that, his energy and powerful words surely reached her, putting a smile upon her face._

_"Thank you, Don Kanonji. I'll make sure to do that when the moment comes" She bowed a bit._

_"You're welcome, Guardian Spirit girl! And remember... Spirits are always with you! BOHAHAHAHA!" __Don Kanonji made his typical pose and walked away, not even realizing how the girl had attached a minuscule string on him to gather information._

"No... I won't let them do as they please. I'll _make_ them see me" She decided. "Thank you, Don Kanonji, now I understand..." She accessed the string that she had left with him, holder of a devastating technique that was once used by the Substitute Shinigami himself against none other than Aizen.

The other three had no choice but to look at the girl as an unexpected amount of Reiatsu started rising, a black blade slowly forming in her hand.

"What the...?" Uryuu couldn't believe what he was seeing, despite not witnessing said attack before.

"Oi... Is this for real?" Renji felt the same way. Whatever that was, it was dangerous, probably deadly.

Finally, Cien was left gasping with an agape mouth as he beheld the power Roka was displaying.

Panting as her very body broke due to the amount of energy that attack needed, she raised the blade.

Forcing the three to acknowledge the threat she had become, they all went in different directions just as she swung the sword.

_"Mugetsu!" _She exclaimed, the torrent of black Reiatsu devastating everything in its path, completely erasing the spot were the three were about to end their fight moments before.

The deafening sound of the destructive force, which was still not half of what Ichigo's had been that fateful day, left them all mute as they tried to regain focus on what was actually happening.

"I see..." Cien smiled. "You wanted to prove I had yet to study you further, didn't you?" He went to the almost unconscious Arrancar.

"Sz-Szayel... No... Cien-sama... I..." She murmured, unable to move.

"I understand, Roka" Cien smiled at her, tasting the endless amount of opportunities. "We will continue our experiments after you recover" He opened a _Garganta_. "You have a full day off, so make sure to be in perfect condition for tomorrow"

"Thank... You..." She lost consciousness.

Uryuu and Renji only noticed their enemy was disappearing once it was too late.

Cien Granz was closing the portal as he took Roka with him for further investigation.

"Wait!" The Lieutenant extended his hand, knowing it was useless. "Fuck... He ran away"

"Yeah... But... What was that?" He wondered, referring to Roka's attack. "Not that I want to brag but... I became a lot stronger and yet I felt that thing could kill us-"

"In an instant. Yeah, I felt it too" Renji completed. "It's also strange how the name of the attack wasn't the usual, regarding Arrancar that is..."

"True. It reminded me more of..." He connected it to the _Getsuga Tenshou._ "...Kurosaki"

"Let's see if anyone knows about this once we get back" Renji agreed that it was a mystery that needed to be solved. "T'was called _Mugetsu,_ wasn't it?

~~~~X~~~~

"Hahah... Ahahahahahaha! Take that, you mortal! Never... NEVER! Will you be able to compare to the likes of a God like me!" Yama spouted proudly.

"Tch... Maybe you survived, but with the next attack I'll make sure to end it!" Ichigo excalimed as he prepared another slash of his black Reiatsu blade. "_Mugetsu!"_

But this time, _Lucifer_ was able to stop it, protecting its master from its destructive force as he recovered.

"It's too late, Ichigo" He grinned, his Reiatsu quickly being restored. "With this power... I'll never lose!"

"Dammit!" Ichigo cursed, thinking of how he couldn't fail.

But precisely, that thought was the key, the key to go one step beyond.

"Mugetsu" He called his name once more, looking for him inside his subconscious.

"What is it, King?" He quickly asked back, as he had been anxiously waiting from that moment.

"Did I go against my aspect of death when...?" He inquired, looking the best words to refer to possibly one of the most traumatic experiences he had ever gone through. "When I... Confronted... Nel...?"

"Hm... Yes, I believe you did. You overcame a tremendous challenge in your actual life, so that counts"

"Then... I believe I can go one more level above, can't I?" He needed that answer to go further, as Tsukoyomi had prepared his body for the transformation, but he hadn't actually beaten the God.

"I was wondering when would you have the guts" Mugetsu chuckled.

"It was never about guts, Mugetsu. I know what would happen if I were to use this with Arrancar nearby" He refuted. "Especially if... My Whole Link was not active. I wouldn't be able to take that void sensation without losing myself"

"True, true... But now that's not the case so, let's show this bastard what real power is like!"

Ichigo took a deep breath, unchanging his Zanpakutou from the arm and putting it back on the sheath.

Placing his hand on top of his Hollow Hole, which was beating along with Nel's, he charged his Reiatsu to reach the ultimate state of power a Hollow could achieve.

The one.

The last.

The...

**_Etapa Final_**

Engulfed by red and black Reiatsu, Ichigo felt how his body changed for the last time in order to withhold the unimaginable prowess that once belonged to the God of the Night himself.

Instead of finishing the transformation in a white flash like the others, a vantablack darkness found its way emanating from him, absorbing even the little light that still remained upon those darkened skies, the eternal night making itself present just like it did in Hueco Mundo, but inside Soul Society.

~~~~X~~~~

_Squad 4 Barracks..._

"Look" Ulquiorra told the others, everyone shifting their heads towards the blackened aether.

"Oi... You're not telling me that...!" Grimmjow couldn't believe it.

"Yes... That is most undoubtedly Ichigo's doing" The soft voice of a woman said as she arrived.

Orihime gasped as she heard her.

"You...!" Grimmjow frowned, attempting to walk towards her in a hostile way, but was grabbed by the shoulder by Ulquiorra, firmly.

"Stop. Look at her" He had already seen the clear difference, in both her eyes and her tone. "She's not the one who attacked Harribel"

Despite seeing Ulquiorra was defending her, she couldn't simply pretend to be innocent and approach them in the friendly way she always did.

She had to take responsibility for her actions, even if it wasn't truly her fault.

"I... I can leave if it makes you guys feel more comfortable..." She sadly muttered. "I know the things I did... And there's no reason you should ever forgive me for them... Especially for what I did to Harri and what I forced Ichigo to go through..." She wept for a moment, her voice cracking. "So if for any reason... Y-You hate me... You... You are in your whole right to do so...!"

But instead of hearing a bitter reprimand or complaint upon her arrival, she felt a warmth filling her Hollow heart as pair of arms were wrapped around her.

"Nel-san... You're back!" Orihime cried, her face reaching her chest due to the clear difference in height. "I missed you so much!"

"I-Inoue-san..." She was really surprised by her reaction, unable to fight a smile as she hugged her back, crying in unison. "I missed you too, believe me!"

Everyone else stared in shock at her right arm, which was entirely tattooed, and it was pretty scary considering the ungodly amount of characters of Ichigo's name. No one dared make that question at that moment however.

"Looks like it worked" Urahara smirked triumphantly.

"Yeah... Though I can't help but wonder, what is actually going on up there?" Shinji wondered. "After all, it's not like we can tell by a measure of Reiatsu, cause neither of us can feel it" He noted, showing how the two beings were in a higher place in terms of power, a whole different dimension they didn't belong in. "But judging by the effect in their surroundings, being that all of Soul Society... I can't even imagine"

"Heh, if I had to bet, I'd say that there is in fact someone trembling viciously out of excitement as he feels this divine display of power..." Urahara grinned. "I feel sorry for that chair..."

"Heheheh, I hadn't thought of that..." Shinji agreed with an even greater grin than usual.

After the girls stopped hugging, Ulquiorra decided to ask her about the current situation.

"Nelliel, what exactly happened up there?"

"Well..." Her mood instantly went down as flashbacks of the past battles came to her.

"There's no need for you to go into detail with what happened between you and Kurosaki-kun" Orihime clarified, giving her boyfriend a look of reprimand.

"*sigh* Sorry, I should have made that point clear" Ulquiorra apologized.

"No, it's alright. You deserve to know at least a summary" She shook her head. "There wasn't truly a winner in my battle with Ichigo but... He managed to release me from the Dark Core and my most negative side's control"

"And I'm so glad to hear that..." Orihime gave her angelic smile.

"However... That brought us another problem" Nel explained. "The Negative Energy became Hollow Reiatsu after it was mixed with mine, and Yama was able to use it to open the box containing the Heart of Tsukoyomi"

"Damn him..." Ulquiorra murmured, thinking how that must have been his plan all along.

"And it gets worse... Nageki managed to prevent him from absorbing energy out of external sources, but the artifact was already a part of him, so he became overwhelmingly powerful. We fought him in our _Etapa Final_, and even then, he was surpassing us. The only real damage he received was from my greatest attack, which was a reflection of his own power due to my aspect of death... And Nageki's last straw" She concluded.

Urahara paid special attention to the last part.

"No... Don't tell me Nageki-san is...!" Orihime was greatly saddened by the news.

"Yes..." a couple of tears painfully escaped her eyes once again. "Nageki is dead. He sacrificed himself to protect me and Ichigo, while he was still unconscious"

"Now those are shocking news..." Urahara sighed, thinking how Nageki was practically immortal and yet found his way into the afterlife after facing the Demon King.

"Thankfully, Arikado-san arrived at the place, and he protected Ichigo while I helped Nageki, but his powers were too limited to help us with anything else. He did leave for the Human World now, after he heard the news about the prisoners of Hell breaking out and leaving a... Disaster..." Nel remembered that it had been her who destroyed the Gates of Hell. "Ah shit..." She couldn't help but curse upon that realization.

"What's wrong?" Grimmjow inquired, thinking her reaction was weird.

"Well..." She looked away in shame. "It turns out that after I left Ichigo and Ulquiorra in that chamber... I made my way to the actual Gates along with two Togabito who guided me, and I... I was the one to destroy them... This is all my fault!"

"Nel-san..." Orihime comforted her. "You were not yourself. We understand that" She wiped the tears off her friend's beautiful face. "You are back, and that is all that matters. We are all very happy to see you!"

Grimmjow frowned a bit at that comment.

"Although some beasts are gonna have to calm down a bit before making that statement a fact" Ulquiorra pointed out.

"Hey! Got a fucking problem?! Cause I have no qualms fighting you right now, Primera!"

Ulquiorra held the handle of his sword, ready to fight him at any moment.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Liliynette asked as she arrived at the place.

"Nothing" Ulquiorra put his hand back in his pocket, knowing that in this moment, Grimmjow wouldn't try to do something that stupid.

"N...Nelliel-sama!" Satya realized, now in his younger form.

"Lily-chan, Satya-kun!" She was really happy to see them as well. "Did you do well in your fight?"

"Aum..." Satya's mood darkened a bit. "I don't know if this is gonna be bad news for you but... Bryssling has..."

"...He has left this world" Lilynette completed, patting Satya's shoulder.

"Oh... Is that so?" She did feel a bit sad due to that. After all, Bryssling had slowly shifted from the old ways, being really different from how he used to be when he was under her charge. "I'm really sorry to hear that"

"Aum... It was my fault that he died. He protected me, and... That's almost as bad as if I had killed him with my own hands..."

"That's not true, Satya-kun" Lilynette denied. "He died protecting you cause you were important to him. It was his choice, you never forced him to make that decision"

"Aum, but, he would've never had to make that decision if I had been strong enough in the first place" He refuted.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Satya-kun" Nel also tried to make him feel better. "Just make sure to honor his last wish and live happy and for as long as you can. Don'tlet his sacrifice be in vain"

Satya widened his eyes as he heard that, feeling determined to do that.

"Aum. Thank you, Nelliel-sama. I would've gladly been under your command, like Bryssling was"

"Um... I don't think _that_ me would've nearly been like I am right now, Satya-kun, so I'd appreciate that you didn't make that mistake"

"Basically, apologize" Lilynette ordered.

"Aum. Sorry, Nelliel-sama"

"It's okay" She calmly replied.

The two assumed she had already talked about whatever happened before, so they decided to leave her be.

"By the way, where is Ashido-san?" Orihime inquired.

"Oh, he went to see his girlfriends" Lilynette replied casually.

"Wait. Did I hear well?" Shinji seemed shocked. "Girlfriendsssss??? As in plural?!"

"Yeah, Ashido-san is actually engaged to the three Fracciones of Harribel-san. Isn't that wonderful?" Orihime cheerfully chuckled.

"Wonderful? Man, this fucking sucks..." Shinji complained. "All these Arrancar are dating super-hot girls... Just look at these two!" He said referring to Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. "Then we have Ichigo with Nelliel, who literally has a whole arm tattooed with his name" Nel got red as a strawberry, despite that being her Dark self's fault. "And... Now you're telling me that one of them has a goddamn Harem?! Give me a break..." He sighed.

Everyone laughed at Shinji's mental breakdown, needing that to wear off the tension produced by the difficult past events.

"At the very least, most of us made it out alive from our brushes with death" Urahara concluded. "All we can do now, is put our complete trust on the fact that Kurosaki-san will be able to stop Yama"

Everyone nodded in agreement, wishing for their best wishes to reach him.

"Let's go, Kurosaki Ichigo. Show him the power you've shown us" Lilynette thought.

"Aum... Make him pay for all he has done, Kurosaki-dono" Satya requested.

"I trust in you, Ichigo. You're the only one who can do it" Ulquiorra knew.

"You can do it, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime wished.

"Don't you dare die, Gran Rey Cero. I still got to take the throne from you!" Grimmjow dared.

"You show'im, Ichigo" Shinji grinned.

"Show us once more just how far you can get, Kurosaki-san" Urahara smiled.

"Don't be afraid, Ichigo" Nelliel touched her Hollow Hole, trying to get the message to him. "You can do this, I know you can. I love you more than anyone, so mark my words: No matter what darkness your power brings, I know your heart, and I can tell that darkness is gentle and warm, cause its only objective is to protect those you care and love. I'll be waiting for your return, my love... My life..." A single tear fell through her cheek.

~~~~X~~~~

Out of the ashes of the night that released his final form, Ichigo opened his eyes one last time.

Red iris. Black sclera. Long and magnificent orange hair falling to his feet.

With all pieces of mask broken on his face, all that remained were the pointy twisted horns on top of his head, colored black, just like the thin lines that fell from his eyes, reminiscent of Ulquiorra.

His body was covered by the same armor of black skulls that Tsukoyomi wore, his Hollow Hole shining with Nel's pink Reiatsu, as she focused to open the Whole Link and share their Reiryoku.

Five pairs of black Fallen Angel wings grew out of his back, while his lower body was covered with a tunic that was the very representation of Death's Robe, his feet covered by pointy boots of black armor.

The claws on his hands had toned down from his past form, for none other reason but so he could take his Final Weapon, which was coming out of the void of existence, materializing before him with a fearsome yet somehow empowering aura.

_"**Azrael**_..." Ichigo heard the voice in his head as he held the giant double-edged Scythe, one white, as a crescent moon, and the other black, with the same shape; the black bone stick that he held was tied to a chain of the same color, wrapped around his right arm.

Carrying the name of the angel of Death himself, this weapon was proof of Ichigo's aspect of death in all its might, yet indicating his benevolent spirit.

"That form...!" Yama widened his eyes, frightened, knowing about the conclusion Hueco Mundo's massacre had achieved that opportunity...

While he had never seen Mugetsu reach that state, he knew that it was in that form that all the Demons and Angels that remained in the battlefield perished in an instant, swallowed by a dark eternal night.

"Time's up, Yama. With every beginning, there is always an ending... And I am here to make yours a reality" Ichigo simply said, the feeling of emptiness growing inside of him once more, but Nelliel's soul made sure to keep all his positive feelings intact.

There was no more rage or hate inside his heart. All he had, was that intrinsic desire to protect, to save, to fight, only to make sure that the people he cherished would be safe.

"A mortal... A mere mortal cannot decide the fate of a God!" Yama spat as he summoned another wave of overwhelming power. "_Apassionata Ex Machinea!"_

Ichigo looked at the chaotic rain of beams that was coming for him, but he merely stabbed his hand one more time, bathing both horns in blood.

_"Gran Rey Cero Final... Luna Nueva" _

The world seemed to be swallowed in silence in that instant, the black hole like sphere forming between the two horns and being pointed towards the God, who didn't even notice what had exactly happened until it was too late.

His body was immersed in a world of agony as the darkest _Cero_ in existence swallowed him, disintegrating various of his wings and burning his skin like the sun itself.

"Arghhh! I... Won't... Die... Not until... I've fulfilled... My ambition!" Yama spouted, swallowing the pain as sheer willpower kept his being together. "_Lucifer!"_

Ichigo stared at him in disgust as his blood red irises confirmed that he wasn't nearly done.

"Just die already..." He muttered as he assaulted the God with a spinning Scythe.

The Kamibuki returned at the hand of its master, who decided to wield it himself in order to finally end it all.

The two Kings clashed against one another, their godly weapons screeching with each strike, sparks flying all over the night sky.

A thousand cuts, bruises and hits were dealt, but the two were able to quickly restore themselves with their bodies' capabilities and their unwavering hearts.

It was impossible to claim any of the two had a stronger desire to win. While their reasons weren't remotely similar in ethical terms, the two were giving it all in order to protect what their heart desired.

One might think it was obvious who was standing in the righteous side. The side of good. The side of light. The side of Justice.

However, all of these are mere constructs defined by a system ruled by imperfect beings. Be it Gods, mortals or straightforward humans, has no importance whatsoever. They are all imperfect and as such, none could claim to have an absolute truth backing them up.

Yama, despite his darkness, was no different.

Hell, if he had done this all alone from the start, he wouldn't be here fighting until his soul was entirely consumed by the powers of the man who inherited all he ever desired.

However, even with all the evil and negativity inside of him, the force that continued pushing him further and further was in fact similar to the one of Kurosaki Ichigo.

"I won't..." He could see the faces of all the Demons that had already died. "...Fail... You..."

With decision, Yama focused the energy that was restoring his body into a full fledged attack with _Lucifer_, slashing reality itself.

_"Akróasis" _He said as the black sky shattered, making it seem like the night was broken and revealing the light of day that was above the Seireitei moments before.

Ichigo knew he couldn't leave anything to chance, so hearing the voice of _Azrael_ inside of him, he countered with the greatest offensive display his Final Weapon could show.

_"Brecha Negra!" _He said as he sliced the air twice, once with the black side and another with the white one, creating an illusion that it was the night itself the one clashing against Yama's attack.

The two attacks cancelled themselves out, leaving the two rulers staring at each other, impassable, unbreakable.

The battle had reached its peak, and in fact, it was possible the Seireitei itself couldn't take much more.

Ichigo, in spite of his overwhelming power, had used his strength in a way that it perfectly collided with Yama's, dealing the less collateral damage to their surroundings by doing so.

But at this point, the Demon King was done. He couldn't risk having Ichigo defeat him in the moments that followed. If he wanted to win, he had to act now, even if he had to take the whole Soul Society with him.

Putting all the power he could get from the Heart of Tsukoyomi, unwillingly, he transformed _Lucifer_ into energy to use his last straw, the ultimate destructive force he could summon.

"Oi... Don't do something so reckless!" Ichigo angrily spat at him, knowing where he was heading.

"My people sacrificed themselves for me... Yours should be willing to do the same" He coldly replied, giving Ichigo a hint that he wasn't as indolent as he appeared to be until that moment. "I know what you think... This idiot has no feelings. Nothing but ambition. He sacrificed his Demons as tools and got so far using everyone around him"

Ichigo stood for a moment, hearing what he had to say.

"Of course... It's the most logical conclusion, after everything I've done to get here" Yama continued. "However, believe me, Kurosaki Ichigo. Believe me when I say that I cherished each and every one of the people that followed me. If I acted like I didn't care... It was just so I could trick my own self into believing that was the case. Not to despair in the fact that my love, Mizuwari, would sacrifice it all for me. Same goes for my philosophical companion, Kazenawa; and my master in the art of war, Kachiki" He remembered them all as important people, although his woman surely had a special spot. "If I think about Kurokage... He was like a son to me, no... He WAS my son. I created him, and despite his early imperfections, I struggled to make him happy and to 'fix' his body so that he could exist, cause I wanted him by my side"

"If what you say is true? Then why the fuck did you have to go so far?!" Ichigo asked, furious. "Why did you let them all die if you wanted them by your side?! It makes no sense to me!"

"Because that is what they desired!" Yama spat back. "You think I took pleasure in the fact that they fed a monstrous creation?!" He said regarding Neberu. "If I was ever happy about that... It was because I couldn't be happier knowing that their sacrifices hadn't been in vain, and that a perfect being could be born of their effort!" He clarified. "The Dark Core was pure Negative Energy, yes... But that cocoon held so much more than just that empty darkness! It held... All their hopes, their dreams, their love even... I have no idea where that went to... But wherever that was, I'm gonna find it and I'll find a way to bring them all back once I rule this reality!!!"

Only then could Ichigo see the truth behind Sorayama's eyes. Not an empty ambition or desire, but a selfish yet selfless wish to bring back to life all those who had sacrificed themselves for him.

"Is that...? Even possible?" Ichigo inquired.

"I have no idea" Yama retorted, honestly. "Just like you deal with secrets about this place, the Human World and Hueco Mundo... We also have secret knowledge regarding the highest of Heavens: Tentei. If I could reach it... I know, there must be a way to alter what we know as reality. To shift space and time freely in order to create, restore and redefine it all"

"But that... That is not certain"

"It's not, but it's all I have!" Yama exclaimed, tears falling from his eyes. "I got here Kurosaki Ichigo... I got to this god damned point in order to assure my future, and neither you, nor anyone! Will dare take it away from me!"

"You might believe yourself to be so damn righteous after saying all this, but I remind you, the pain you've caused to us mortals was real! You can't just pretend to be on the side of justice after all the lives you took and all the suffering you've caused!"

"And I don't believe I am, Kurosaki. I'm just doing what I want for me and MY people, that has never changed. Of course, I have my selfish wishes. I have a desire for revenge. That is all true but... Who wouldn't be in my place after living through all that?! Who would dare to be on the side of the same Gods who showed him nothing but hatred and disappointment?! Who would dare accept a father or mother that damned you to live a miserable existence like this one?!" Yama spouted, yet having a point. "I didn't ask to be born, Kurosaki Ichigo, but I won't sit back and accept a reality that fails to fulfill a single desire I have!"

"Very well then..." Ichigo knew it. The point of no return. Whatever his enemy's reasons were, he wouldn't give up. He would die protecting his beliefs, in the same way he would for the people he wanted to protect. "Show me your conviction, Yama. I'll take it head on, and I'll show you the rift between us"

Yama couldn't help but smirk and chuckle at that declaration.

"O' brother... I wouldn't want it any other way..." He created a sphere of Chaotic energy, making the whole plain of Souls tremble.

Small pieces of the ground and smashed buildings started floating, reacting to that godly amount of energy.

Beneath Squad 1, guarded by an expectant Yamamoto who had deposited his trust on the rest after seeing his powers were useless against an energy-absorbing God like Yama, another individual couldn't help but wide his uncovered eye in amazement.

_"**P**__**erditus Paradisus**!"_

The night sky was being fragmented as the sphere floated against Ichigo, menacing to erase everything that came in contact with it.

Its unstable existence was clearly a threat for the whole realm they were immersed in, so he had no choice but to try for the first and last time, to use that technique Heaven itself was terrified to see.

The night.

The dark eternal night.

It was time to bring upon the eclipse that would engulf it all and make it all come to nothing.

Turning his Scythe into a compressed dot of energy, an all absorbing void as dangerous as the sphere the Demon King had created, Ichigo vowed to see her face once again as he waited for the attack to reach him, endangering the world around him the least as possible.

He could feel his very soul being absorbed by that mass of energy, slowly dissolving him into nothingness, or maybe, into everything. He couldn't know. No one could.

All he knew, was that in his hand, was the only option he had to save himself along with everyone else.

**_"Eclipse Total:_**

**_Hueco_****_..._**

**_...Mundo"_**

**01000101 01100011 01101100 01101001 01110000 01110011 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101111 01110100 01100001 01101100**

**01001000 01110101 01100101 01100011 01101111 00100000 01001101 01110101 01101110 01100100 01101111**

Between a multitude of 1s and 0s, the chance of surviving was both infinite and none at the same time.

The whole world was swallowed by a complete darkness.

Soundless.

Painless.

Lifeless.

No one could tell what was occurring as the black dot collided with the Chaotic sphere.

There was no Reiatsu that could describe that, much less a word for that feeling.

The whole World of Souls, Weltseele, the Anima Mundi, was in a static state as it all developed.

The only thoughts at that moment, were the ones of the two that had chosen to destroy one another. For hate, for revenge, for justice... None of that mattered anymore.

**In fact, unknown to them, a distortion was caused at that moment. A thing that should not be. An existence that shouldn't have come into contact with that dimension as a whole.**

**None of them realized this, and neither would anyone inside the actual Seireitei. But that wasn't the only thing in the realm at the moment was it? A city of white, would know however, and for better or worse...**

**What's done is done and gone.**

Back to the dark eternal night, in contrast to Yama's belief, there was a force inside of him that refused to let him die.

No. It wasn't his heart.

It was his father's.

The Heart of Tsukoyomi, the will of the God of the Night, while not willing to give him an unlimited power for destruction, didn't want his son to suffer.

It healed him, it protected him, and now... It saved him, even if it was for that single moment.

Yama widened his eyes as the only thing he heard inside the void, was a voice he didn't know, yet it sounded so familiar.

"I'm sorry... My dear son..."

The tesseract shattered into pieces inside Yama's body, at the same time as the night disappeared.

The skies were clear once again, letting the two see each other to the face once more, to their great dismay.

Ichigo was ready to hack him apart with his Scythe as soon as it returned, but apparently, he had used too much power and that wouldn't happen.

Quickly, he rushed to his sheath, pulling out the black Zanpakutou that had started it all.

However, to his surprise, Yama didn't do anything to attack. In fact, he chuckled.

"Tch… Congratulations. You… Win" He panted. "Somehow... I made it out alive of that... But I'm way past my limit, and without the Heart... I won't be able to heal this damage"

"What?"

"What you just heard. The Heart of Tsukoyomi is no more. You've won"

Ichigo was about to speak, but Yama continued.

"Don't think it's over for you, however. A new threat will come… And even if you are this powerful, mark my words when I say that the battles you have ahead are not ones determined by power alone. Then, in the rare case you overcame all that… Susano'o will most likely come for you, sooner or later. After all...You _are_ my brother… Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-haha-hah…"

Ichigo shook his head as he heard that once again.

"That's where you are wrong though. My soul might be the reincarnation of Mugetsu, but Tsukoyomi is not my father. I have a family of my own, and with that, friends that are mine, not Mugetsu's. It's true, I decided to carry on his legacy and chose to rule over the Hollows… However, I said I would become Gran Rey Cero, not Mugetsu. Saying 'I am Gran Rey Cero, king of Hueco Mundo' is just the same for me as 'I am Ichigo Kurosaki, and I'm gonna kick your ass'" He said, imitating the name structure of Hueco Mundo's inhabitants. "Now... I can't quite grasp that you're giving up after everything you've done"

"Hmph... To be fair, I don't quite get it myself... But somehow... I learned something inside that dark void" He replied, stoic. "And now I understand, there was no way in Hell I could beat you... After all, you don't sacrifice others for the sake of your objective... But instead, you sacrifice yourself for the rest. Such nobility... Is beyond my miserable existence" He finally accepted. "Now, if you have a single shard of compassion left in you... I'd like to die at the hands of a warrior, just like everyone else did"

Ichigo sighed as he pointed the blade at him.

"Mugetsu... What do you think?" He asked his inner spirit.

The white Hollow grinned.

"Go ahead. Even if he hasn't suffered as much as we have... We would be just like him if we tried to make the rest miserable because of it. He's gonna die soon, anyways" He said.

"I understand" Ichigo opened his eyes again.

"I'm sorry... Everyone" Yama murmured as he finally felt the weight of his sins above him, a weight comparable to the world itself.

Ichigo wanted to say something, but in the end, no words came to mind. It was pointless.

Instead... He decided to entrust this to the man with whom he had started it all.

"Let's go... Zangetsu..." He told his old friend.

_"GETSUGA... TENSHOU...!"_

A clean slash of black and red Reiatsu sliced the Demon King in two, his body dissolving into the air before reaching the ground.

Ash to ash... Dust to dust... He had come to realize his decadence.

Ichigo, on his part, slowly returned to the citadel, not yet assimilating that everything had come to an end.

His body returned to _Primera __Etapa_, and then to his base form, the white blade that had accompanied him through the beginning of his new life returning to the sheath.

It had been a long journey, an odyssey in fact, but now he was finally able to see a light shining at the end of those dark times.

Yama's words were still inside his head, however. War would come again, he knew it, but even with that thought in mind, he could rest assured that he had survived this time.

Now all that was missing, was seeing that the ones he had tried to protect were still alive.

He was sad to know that Nageki had perished, but at least, he was able to make his sacrifice count.

Mugetsu did not ask him about it, and he didn't want to discuss the topic at that moment either.

As he reached the citadel, he was finally able to enjoy the most important accomplishment of this last stand.

Tackled to the ground as a pair of arms were wrapped around him, he happily replied with a hug of his own.

"ICHIGO!"

"Nel..." He said weakly with a smile, losing consciousness, yet being right where he wanted to be.

* * *

**I hope I did well, honestly. It feels weird to have to conclude everything after so long, doesn't it? But here it is, the end of the Demon King.**

**Also, for anyone claiming that Roka is some super OP OC or something of sorts, I invite you to either look for her in a Wikia that considers the Light Novels, cause she is canon as a character and in the novel "Spirits Are Always With You" she is able to use Mugetsu, although it takes a great toll for her.**

**Next Chapter is most likely to be the last, but fret not, as after my hiatus, I'll come back to continue this world, of which I already left a little hint, but there's no way you guys would know what it means anyway so, bear with it! Hahaha.**

**Reviews**:

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _YEEEEAAAAHHHH! Loved this chapter! Fantastic work! Loved how Nageki was able to finally understand the concept of friendship before death and how Ichigo came back to help Nel, repeating the same words Nel had said when she confronted Nnoitra for the second time! Good job!_**

**Reply: Good to see you liked those details. It's true that there weren't any deaths of the original cast, but it's all a matter of time (unfortunately or not, whichever way you look at it).**

**Anyways, see you next time!**

**Evhron out...**

**Glossary:**

**_Gran Rey Cero Final_, _Luna Nueva: _Final Gran Rey Cero, New Moon. Basically, the strongest pure _Cero_ that exists. Only possible for the direct descendant of Tsukoyomi (in soul terms).**

**_Brecha Negra: _Black Rift. Strongest attack using _Azrael _in its base form.**

**_Eclipse Total_... _Hueco Mundo__: _Total Eclipse, Hollow World. Ichigo's most powerful attack, inherited from Tsukoyomi, and the power Mugetsu used to put an end to the Raid of Hueco Mundo in his time. It is like a supermassive black hole (from a visual point of view, of course), and it makes the surrounding areas completely dark, as it absorbs all light.**** The Dark Eternal Night.**

**_Azrael:_ Known in Islam as the Angel of Death, he is known for gently taking the souls out of the bodies into the afterlife, hence despite his somber title, he's actually a benevolent Angel. That's why I picked that** **specific** **name.**


	45. Dark Matter

In the aftermath of the battle, the Arrancar and the Shinigami were practically all in the area of the 4th Division.

"G... Grimmjow..." Harribel muttered as she regained consciousness.

"Tier!" The Espada embraced her, and as soon as his face was on top of hers, the two feeling the warmth of the other's breath, their lips collided wildly.

Grimmjow softly caressed her cheek as he did so, which was something he clearly wouldn't do to anyone else, and maybe not even to her if it wasn't for her weak state.

But he didn't care about being soft for once. He was glad she was alive, and that was all he needed.

"How... How is everyone?" She inquired, a bit of saliva falling from her lip. "Did we... Did we do it...?"

"Yeah. We had a couple deaths though... Bryssling and Nageki aren't among us anymore"

"Oh... I see" She thought of the lost comrades, taking a moment of her time for that.

They had definitely changed. Ever since their new rulers had shown them what it meant to have friends and partners to trust in battle, and in life, the idea of losing people, even if they weren't particularly related to her, wasn't meaningless like it was before.

"The two seem to have done their best though. Bryssling protected that kid, Satya, and Nageki was the key to defeating Yama so... They did their part, I'll acknowledge that" Even Grimmjow had to admit that dying while fighting these enemies wasn't a sign of weakness at all.

"That makes me feel more at tease with their passing" She paid her respects. "Then... What about Ichigo and... Nel-sama...?" She wanted to know, especially of her best friend. "Is she...?"

"*sigh* Yeah, she's back. I guess Ichigo did his magic after all" He smirked at her uncomfortably, not entirely accepting Nelliel after what her Dark counterpart had done to Harribel. "But I still... Have trouble seeing her. Like, can we be completely sure that she's the same? Cause that smartass Shinigami said there wasn't any guarantee of that" He said, recalling Urahara's words.

"Grimmjow... I understand your worry, but she's my best friend. I _want _to see her" Her emerald eyes begged. "Please..."

"Urgh..." Grimmjow groaned. "I'll tell her to come see you..." He finally decided. "But please... Be on g-"

"Grimmjow..." Harribel gave him a look as if asking 'Seriously?'.

"Alright... I'm sorry. She'll be here in a moment" He left her side and went to Ichigo's room, knowing that she would be there since she didn't leave his side.

As he walked through the Barracks, he noticed Ichimaru, wearing his broken mask again.

"Going somewhere?" Grimmjow asked.

"Just to take a bit of fresh air and some of the sun's heat. My cold blood needs it after experiencing a night like that one" He replied with his typical smirk.

"You don't plan on staying with us, do you?"

"Maybe... Maybe not..." He shrugged. "Only time will tell"

"Whatever... Do as you will. It's not like I care about you anyways" The blue-haired Espada concluded.

"I know. I don't care about you or any of the other ones, so it's a more than mutual feeling, believe me" He chuckled, opening his eyes maliciously, only for an instant, and only one of them truly showing through the mask.

"Tch... Get lost" Grimmjow pushed him to the side as he returned to his previous job.

"Bye bye!" Gin continued mocking him, waving his hand.

And then, he saw her.

Just going around the corner, apparently healed from any wound she obtained during the fierce battle.

As her eyes met him, she got that strange feeling. That feeling of familiarity.

Her brain told her she didn't know this man, but her heart knew otherwise. And as she passed by him, flashes of memories went through her.

In that instant, Gin used _Hakufuku_ on her, knocking her out and catching her body tenderly.

"We need to talk..." He softly whispered, although she was already passed out.

Grimmjow had now arrived at the room where Ichigo was resting. It was full of Shinigami, but quite some Arrancar were present as well (Satya, Lilynette, Ulquiorra, Orihime and Nel).

"Nelliel" He called her.

"What's wrong?" She asked back, not shifting her look from her beloved as she held his hand.

"It's Tier... She... She wants to see you" He told her the truth. "She just woke up a minute ago"

"Oh..." She looked at him in that moment. "If that's the case... I guess I must comply without delay" She replied, letting go of her Whole's hand as she whispered: "I'll be back soon, dear"

Before exiting the room, she approached the Primera.

"Ulquiorra... I've heard some complex stuff about the Shinigami. Most of them are Ichigo's friends but... Some of the other ones can be quite dangerous, and seeing how we are outnumbered... Please, don't take your eyes off him or them" She requested.

"I understand, my Queen" He made her blush as he said that. "I will do everything I can"

"Th-Thank you... And, please... Just call me by my name" She requested with a nervous giggle, feeling awkward with that formality. "You're even my superior in terms of rank"

"I know" He smiled a bit. "It was a joke"

"Oh..." She was amused to hear that.

"Did it work?" He frowned, disappointed. "Apparently not"

"No, no... It's just... I never imagined you'd try something like that"

"I have a long way to go... But Orihime says it's good to make people laugh, especially when they've gone through a difficult experience" He explained. "It's good to have you back on our side, Nelliel"

"You don't know how glad I am about that fact as well" She smiled at him sincerely. "Let's keep doing our best. For Ichigo, and Hueco Mundo"

"You don't need to ask" He assured her that he would do so. "Protecting him... Is synonymous with protecting Las Noches"

~~~~X~~~~

Rangiku opened her eyes in a small old house, in the Rukongai.

It was easy for her to recognize what that place was, and even more... What it meant.

"My, I see you've woken up" His voice said, his serpent tongue moving like always, yet speaking in a tone that was slightly different, only dedicated to her.

Matsumoto's eyes filled with tears like a deep blue ocean, thinking it was all a dream. But it didn't matter, as long as she could be with him.

In fact, maybe it was better than a dream. Maybe she had lost her life during her fight with the Reigai.

Maybe, just maybe... She was in the afterlife, with him, although that didn't make any sense if she thought about it...

"G... Gin...!" She called his name.

"It's been a while... Hasn't it, Rangiku?" He ate a dried persimmon. "Would you like one?"

The Lieutenant wrapped her arms around him, scared that if she took a second longer, he would vanish, disappear into thin air, as if he was just an illusion.

But contrary to her ominous feeling, the silver-haired man did not disappear, in fact he chuckled.

"Woah, easy there... There's enough for the two of us" He continued talking about the persimmons.

"Gin... Am I... Dead?" She wondered, trying to confirm her suspicions.

"Yes... You are" He replied with a smile. "Isn't that great?" He teased.

"Oh... I guess that was all an illusion" She thought of how Kitsune had saved her.

"I've been waiting for you here... So that we could start again" He continued playing with her.

"Start again...? You mean go to the afterlife... Together?"

The Ex-Captain couldn't help but shake his head as he laughed.

"Tss... ~Hehehehe~ Oh, Rangiku, how many times will you fall into my trap?" He opened his eyes and stared right into hers. "Do you really think I'd let you die?"

"No way... Then... I am...? No... You...? You are...?!" She muttered in astonishment.

"Yes..." He opened the white jacket, revealing the hole in his chest. "I am alive... Somehow"

Rangiku gasped at that sight, never imagining such was the case.

"How in the world...?"

"We don't know for sure, but Urahara-san had the theory that this was the Hougyoku's doing" He revealed. "When I put Aizen in such a peril that time, the Hougyoku recognized my strength, and thus... It gave me a chance to fulfill my greatest desire..." He put his pale hand on her cheek. "Seeing you again, Rangiku"

Rangiku sobbed as she heard those words, breaking into tears.

"Idiot...!" She spouted as she held him tightly. "Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!" She rubbed her face agaisnt his shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why didn't you come for me?"

"Cause I thought I didn't deserve you, and that was even before I failed..." He confessed. "I could never get back that part of your soul... That part Aizen took away from you" He said with sorrow.

"Gin...!" She held his head between her hands. "I never asked for that" She shook her head as she smiled at him, the tears crashing around him. "I never wanted that..."

"But I-"

"I know. You made the unthinkable. You went beyond any known limits, be it strength or intelligence... You even outsmarted Aizen and you almost saved the world" She sobbed, yet the smile would not disappear. "But in the end... All I ever wanted was to be with you. I never needed anything else... And... If this is real... If this isn't a dream or an illusion... It is all I desire, _now"_

"Rangiku..." He was shocked to hear that absolute truth, realizing that, just like Nel had said, his only real failure would've been denying to face her.

He swiftly passed his fingers through her lips, caressing them, gently.

"I... I..." She panted, heat raising inside her body. "I...!"

"If you were to turn into a snake tomorrow... And began devouring humans, and from the same mouth you devoured humans you cried out to me, 'I Love You!', would I still be able to say 'I Love You', the same way I do today?" He wondered as their eyes were locked in a sapphire gaze.

"What?" Rangiku didn't understand his words.

"Back then... As I saw you desperately coming to my side... I made myself that question" He revealed. "What I tried to do... Was putting myself in your place, Rangiku"

She widened her eyes at that mention, knowing that, as much as she loved him, he was and would always be a sociopath. In fact, it was possible that his love for her had merely been an obsession from the very start. If anything... Gin's Hollow Hole simply showed a physical manifestation now, as his heart had always been hollow.

That said, the words she was hearing right now were a complete antithesis of this belief. Trying to be in her shoes. Trying to understand her...

Trying to try.

"And the thing is... My answer was... _No__" _He sadly admitted. "How would I be able to love someone who lied, killed and hurt those around her?" He shook his head. "When I decided to face Aizen, regardless of the result, I couldn't possibly look at you in the face again. The fact that I failed, only adds up to great pile of reasons you have for despising me... So following that train of thought... After all I did... How could you ever love me...?"

"I see..." She understood his point. "So you did come to a conclusion, and a pretty rational one at that" She complimented. "However... Love is, and will always be, the most irrational feeling inside of us" She told him sweetly.

"Huh?" He widened his eyes now, seeing how her arms wouldn't let him go, and that she was drawing closer to him.

"And yes: You are a cold-blooded snake. You are a murderer. You are a traitor... And you're a fucking liar" She whispered the last part in his ear. "But none of that changes the fact that...

I love you, Gin"

Gin gagged for a single instant as he listened to her confession, as the next moment, his breath had been stolen by the voluptuous Lieutenant.

As his mouth converged with hers, he could finally understand what his job was from the start.

All he had to do was be there for her.

All he had to do was touch her, embrace her, kiss her...

All he had to do...

Was make her happy.

Matsumoto's sweet tongue was embraced its reptilian partner, tenderly caught by the bifid tip.

It was strange, but since it was him, that sensation only raised the heat inside of her.

Gin, as cold as he could be, couldn't deny that his childhood friend had a body any man would lust over as long as he wasn't completely in love with someone else, and he was no different. In fact, he was starting to believe... Somehow... He was completely in love with her, in spite of his coldness.

His hand entered the massive cleavage, massaging the round goods inside as Rangiku moaned inside his mouth.

When they broke the kiss, the two embracing the other with both their arms and their breaths, Rangiku told him:

"This time... I won't let you go" She slowly opened her Shihakusho. "You're going to pay for everything you did, Gin..."

"Hmhm... I understand" He also started undressing his upper clothing. "I won't be allowed to stop until you pass out. Is that it?"

"I won't forgive you otherwise" She giggled. "I love you, Gin..."

"I..." He stuttered for a moment, but in the end, he could feel inside that it was the right thing to say. It was the only thing he knew clearly about his feelings, in fact. "I love you, Rangiku"

And with a new kiss, the two decided to merge and leave their misery behind once and for all.

The wait was finally over.

He was back. And she would never let go...

Ever again.

~~~~X~~~~

Ichigo woke up in a bed, surrounded by many of the people that had accompanied him, as well as almost every Captain and Lieutenant in the Seireitei, since Byakuya and Kenpachi weren't there, along with their subordinates.

"Good morning, Kurosaki-sama" Urahara teased.

"Urahara...?" He said, a bit disoriented, sitting on the bed. "What are you guys...?"

"Seeing how you're holding on, of course" Rukia told him seriously. "Or did you forget? You defeated the King of Hell, Ichigo!"

"The King of Hell... Damn, it sounds so unreal when you say it" He recognized.

"Tell ME about it" Shinji grinned. "Even I found myself in quite the predicament up there... One of those assholes could absorb our Zanpakutou's spirits, can you believe that?"

"Yes... The Four Horsemen were indeed on a different scale of power" Ulquiorra agreed. "It might've been a different story if Dark N-"

Orihime put her hand in his mouth.

"Anyways, how are you feeling, Kurosaki-kun?" She asked her friend.

"Good, I think. A bit tired still, but I think it's to be expected after all the power I used..." He could remember the dark eternal night. "It was crazy... By the way, where is Nel?" He inquired, wanting to see her more than anything.

"Oh, she was here only minutes ago" Lilynette told him.

"Aum" Satya nodded. "But since you took so long, she decided to go talk to Harribel-san, who already woke up"

"Ah, I see" He smiled, feeling calm as he knew she was alright. "Thank God... It wasn't like last time..."

"Kurosaki Ichigo" The most authoritarian voice in the Seireitei said his name.

"Huh? Jii-san!" He was happy to see him. "It's been so long, how have you been?"

"Um, Ichigo..." Kyouraku spoke. "I understand that you're feeling well and all after saving the Seireitei once more... But Yama-jii has something serious to discuss with you"

"Oh... I guess you guys might be somewhat shocked to see me this time" He changed his tone.

"We are" Yamamoto agreed. "And as grateful as the 13 Court Guard Squads can be for your and your allies' help, I must warn you that Central 46 will not omit the fact that you have become an Arrancar" He clarified. "In their eyes... You are dangerous. And I, having felt your Reiatsu, can confirm that"

"Oi, but Ichig-" Hiyori was about to spat.

"Shh... Let him finish" Shinji told her.

"I understand..." Ichigo nodded. "So, what is going to happen?"

"Knowing them, they are probably going to order your capture and, possibly, execution" The Captain Commander said. "Although, that last part might be nearly impossible to achieve given your new powers, which is why they would probably decide to seal you and isolate you in a similar way to Aizen Sousuke"

"Tsk..." Ichigo shook his head. "And you think I'm just gonna stand here and let that happen?"

"Kurosaki-san" Unohana spoke. "We understand the unfairness of this situation, but in this moment you represent an even greater threat than Aizen in the past. You are an Arrancar with total control over your Shinigami powers, and you fight alongside an army of Espada that is on a whole different level in comparison to his"

"Yeah, but these Espada are not interested in attacking Soul Society or any other place" He refuted. "All they want is to protect Las Noches and Hueco Mundo in general"

"I get what you're trying to say, Ichigo" Kensei told him. "But Central 46 is absolutely terrified about this. They'd rather label you a criminal than trust your word"

"It's not fair or just... But it's how things are, Kurosaki Ichigo" Komamura added.

"Unless..." Mayuri grinned. "You were willing to become a test subject"

"Or just go back at being a Shinigami..." Urahara clarified.

"What?" He blinked quickly. "Are you saying that...?"

"I proposed that" The hatted man revealed. "It's still under revision, but I am willing to create a new Hougyoku, one limited enough so that it can revert you into a Shinigami and cease to exist"

"Would that mean...?"

"No, it can't erase your Hollow powers completely, cause that's part of your very soul... But you'll go back to how things used to be before you were completely Hollowfied"

"But then Nel-san...!"

Ulquiorra put his hand in Orihime's shoulder, indicating her to remain silent.

"I see..." He digressed. "What would I have to do in the meantime, though? It's not like the Hougyoku will be ready any time soon" Ichigo frowned.

He knew there was something shady about the situation, so he decided to play along. In reality, the sole idea of breaking his Whole Link with Nel was so painful he would rather die along with her before permitting such a fate to occur ever again.

"You will be put in special confinement, inside the Maggot's Nest, AND if you cooperate that is" Soi-Fon coldly replied, reluctant to believe an Arrancar's word, even if it was Ichigo.

"*sigh* I know" He accepted. "But what guarantees do my friends have?" That's where he wanted to get.

"What do you mean?" Toushirou raised a brow.

"I understand that you consider me a danger because of my great power. But what about the Espada? You think I'm so stupid I don't know they will be seen as threats as well?" Ichigo asked back.

All Captains remained silent, muted by Ichigo's retort.

He wasn't the same he was before, that was a given. The old Ichigo wouldn't have realized the dark intent behind that request, but he had become sharper and way more anlytical.

"Kurosaki Ichigo..." Yamamoto spoke loud and clear. "Are you willing to go against all these high-ranked Shinigami you known and, I believe, trust... For the sake of the Arrancar? Or are you possibly implying something even more outrageous?" Yamamoto's powerful glare was locked with his.

Ichigo chuckled at that comment.

"Heheh... You guys didn't tell them right?" He asked the Espada in the room.

Lilynette and Satya shook their head.

Ulquiorra shut his eyes as he calmly replied.

"No... We didn't tell them about _that__"_

All the Shinigami that didn't know the truth were as confused as they could be.

"I'm sorry, Jii-san... But just like you have the Soul Society to protect... I have Hueco Mundo" He stood up, defiantly, drawing the white blade at them.

"It can't be...!" Soi-Fon muttered in disbelief.

"Ichigo!" Rukia exclaimed, worried.

"So that's how it is..." Yamamoto shut his eyes for a moment, sighing as a weight fell on top his shoulders. "Kurosaki Ichigo... From this moment, you are deemed a menace and a traitor to the Soul Society!" The Captain Commander declared, immediately making making everyone in the room widen their eyes in shock.

"Don't get me wrong. I have no intention of harming you. But I'll be forced to if you don't change your mind" Ichigo threatened, seriously. "Yes. I am the King of Hueco Mundo, but that doesn't mean we have to be enemies!"

"I'm sorry, but even if what you say is true, the foundation of our Soul Society is the very cleansing of Hollows. It is the way of the world, and neither you nor I have the power or the ability to change that"

"Is that so...?" Ichigo menacingly looked at them for one last time. "Lilynette, Satya" He looked at his 5th and 6th Espadas. "Go find Ashido, Harribel's Fracciones and the other two girls, then go back home" He ordered, having seen or felt the Reiatsu of all the mentioned Arrancar upon his arrival. "Ulquiorra, I need you to find Nel, Harribel and Grimmjow. Same orders. Take Inoue with you"

Ulquiorra simply nodded, trusting that he would be able to return on his own.

"You don't possibly think we're gonna let you go just like that, do you?" Soi-Fon was on guard.

All the Captains, with the exception of the Vizards, held their Zanpakutous tightly.

"Inoue, block their way" He ordered.

"I'm sorry, everyone" Orihime said as she did as Ichigo told her.

The golden-yellow barriers manifested around the Captains and Lieutenants in cubicles, blocking their path.

All the Espadas entered Resurrección, with the exception of Orihime, who was carried by Ulquiorra in bridal style as he flew towards Harribel and Nel.

"Just for the reckon, I don't want to harm any of you... So please, stay out of my way" Ichigo requested in an authoritarian way.

He had decided to leave clear that he would not tolerate any hostile action directed at his new domain, and what better way that _that_ to do it.

"Farewell" He wished the members of the Gotei. "And Rukia, tell everyone we'll meet again... Soon" He smiled at her.

"Ichigo..." She felt sad upon hearing that, but had hope that she would see him again sometime. "G-Good luck! And don't do anything reckless!"

"Sure..." His smile shifted into a serious look, directed at the place where the highest authority inside the Seireitei operated.

Finally, he disappeared, using _Velocidad_.

Yamamoto raised his Reiatsu to easily break Orihime's barrier, which had weakened a lot since she had left the area almost completely.

"Oi... That was pretty impressive" Shunsui said. "Looks like that girl increased her powers to another level now that she's an Arrancar"

"Except that you could have easily escaped that if you really wanted" Ukitake refuted.

"Hah, but I could say the same about you" The lazy Captain retorted. "Or Yama-jii..."

"What?" Soi-Fon seemed to get it.

"*sigh* I'll be going back to my Squad's barracks" Yamamoto declared.

"It can't be...!" Toushirou was shocked as well, not believing how their more than strict Captain Commander was turning a blind eye on Ichigo this time.

Of course, it was the logical thing to do, but the Gotei and its rules were anything but reasonable most of the time.

"Did the Captain Commander... Let him go...?" Soi-Fon thought in disbelief.

Komamura seemed to grin as he got what the old man had truly decided.

"Ichigo is a hero... He knows he won't do anything of evil nature" The beast-man thought calmly. "It is... Justice"

"Before I take my leave... I'll leave the formalities regarding Central 46 to the following Captains: Outoribashi. Hirako... And Muguruma" Yamamoto ordered. "You called yourselves his friends if I'm not mistaken... So you might as well take responsibility for the mess he's about to unleash. The rest, dismissed!"

The Captains quickly left with their respective Lieutenants, having a lot to do after the siege that had taken place.

"Oh... I just wanted to go play guitar for a while..." Rose sighed.

"You and your tongue, Shinji... If you hadn't said that back at Karakura we might've been free as well" Kensei facepalmed. "There's lots of things to do, and the last thing I wanted was a scene with those geezers"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic" Shinji shrugged. "He's probably gonna break into the place, smash a bit of the structure and knock out some members with his Reiatsu. We'll just apologize saying it was beyond us given the current situation. Piece of cake" He grinned.

"Sounds like a terrific plan, Captain Hirako" Urahara teased him again.

"Hey, Kisuke..." Shinji inquired slyly. "Don't tell me you knew this would happen?"

"What? Oh please... You're giving me way too much credit" He chuckled, smirking. "But now... Central 46 will have no choice but to accept that..."

"Whatever... I'm outta here" Hiyori shrugged. "Hachi is still recovering"

"True..." Love sighed. "It's just strange not saying goodbye. Who knows when we'll see him again"

"In any case, we already spent a lot of time with Ichigo, and all things considered, he must have a lot on his mind right now. He'll be fine without some awkward farewell"

"Speak for yourselves... We still gotta go check on the mess he's about to make" Kensei grinded his teeth.

"You worry too much, Kensei, you'll age more quickly. Just look at yourself, your hair's already that of an old man!" Mashiro teased him.

"My hair has always been grey and you know it" He retorted, bothered.

"Let's get going. The sooner we go, the sooner we'll be free again" Rose proposed.

"Yeah. Shuuhei!" Kensei called his Lieutenant.

"Yes, Captain Muguruma?" He asked back.

"You and Mashiro go back to the barracks. This situation is more of a reason to attend our duties"

"I understand" Shuuhei accepted.

"Aw... You're no fun, Kensei!" The green haired Vizard stuck her tongue out in sign of disrespect.

"You go back as well, Momo" Shinji ordered.

"Yes, Captain!" She nodded.

"Kira..." Rose only muttered his name, as the Lieutenant was quick enough to understand.

"I thought as much. See you later, Captain" The blonde went on his way back to the barracks. "I wonder where Rangiku is though..."

~~~~X~~~~

Harribel gasped as she saw her entering her room, quickly seeing how her hazel irises had returned, and with them, her soft friendly look, almost maternal.

"N... Nel-sama...!" She smiled, and tears appeared in her eyes once again.

"Harri...!" Nel cried as well, although her friend had already been fully healed. "I'm so so sorry!" She embraced the blonde.

"No... I was stupid to do that... I knew what had happened... But I let my emotions take control" She apologized. "I just... Wanted to prove myself... Prove that you weren't gone... That you were still my friend... My best friend..." Harribel muttered, still feeling awkward saying those sweet words.

"Aw, Harri... I swear, I never wanted to hurt you... And, I don't know why that happened exactly... But I've never been jealous of you, and I know that you would never attempt to take Ichigo away from me..." She held her friend's hand, and noticed how the trace of a lightblue marking could be seen just above her skirt. "You... You did it?!" She smiled amazed.

"Eh?" She looked at her puzzled, realizing what she meant in the next second. "Oh... You mean that..." She blushed. "Yes... Grimmjow and I... We..."

"Yes? Yes?" Nel insisted, wanting to hear it from her own mouth.

"We did it... We became Wholes" She grinned and chuckled out of pure embarrassment.

Grimmjow sneezed outside the room, as he had followed Nelliel just in case, although he knew deep within, that nothing would happen, not due to Nelliel at least.

"Congratulations!!!" She hugged her tightly. "So, how do you feel? And..." She got close to her ear, so that only she would hear. "How was he...?"

"Ahahah..." Harribel chuckled nervously, turning bright red. "G-Great I'd say... To both questions"

"But c'mon, give me more details, Harri" She insisted.

Harribel blushed as she whispered a summarized version of her passionate encounter with her man.

When she concluded, flustered beyond any help, Nel giggled and congratulated her.

"That's amazing... I'm so happy for you" She said sincerely.

"I bet... But not nearly as happy to see you're back, Nel-sama..." Tier embraced her.

"Oh, just drop that thing already. We're best friends, aren't we?" Nelliel giggled nervously.

"Yes, but... I don't know..." She sighed.

"It's okay..." Nel tilted her head in a friendly way. "Just call me whatever you feel like then"

"Nel...sama..." The blonde repeated as she felt her friend's warmth.

In that instant, Grimmjow widened an eye as he felt a sudden explosion of power.

"Hm?"

Harribel and Nel also felt the odd atmosphere.

"What was that...?" Harribel inquired.

"Possibly... The Gotei's betrayal" Nelliel knew how shady they could be thanks to Urahara and Yoruichi mainly, but also to Ichigo.

In a flash, the answer came in the form of the head of the Espada (after its King, of course), carrying his beloved orange-haired girl.

"You three, it's time we take our leave" The Primera told them.

"But where's Ichigo?" Nel asked, obviously worried.

"It's okay, Nel-san" Orihime assured her. "He just had to do one last thing before going back to Hueco Mundo"

"I'll go with him"

"No" Ulquiorra shook his head. "He told me that we were all to return, and with or without honorific, you _are_ our Queen, Nelliel. It is my job to protect you and Ichigo in order to protect Las Noches"

"But he's alone, tired... Like, he just defeated the Demon Lord!" Nel insisted.

"Nel-san" Orihime spoke to her softly. "You know him better than anyone else now. You know he's gonna be alright"

"Yes, but... After everything we've been through... I don't wanna.. I don't wanna lose him!" She cried.

"Nelliel... Ichigo made it this far, because he wanted to get you back" Ulquiorra said terminantly, trying to reason with her. "All he wants is for you to be safe, and that nothing happens this time. So please..."

She grinded her teeth a bit, but in the end, she couldn't refute what her fellow Espada was saying.

"Okay... Sorry, for being so stubborn" She apologized.

"Don't feel bad about it. It just proves how much you care about him" Orihime told her.

"Thank you, Inoue-san" She smiled in return.

"Well, if we're done with that, let's get going" Grimmjow said, using _Descorrer._"Yeah. It's time we go back home" Harribel said with a slight smile. It was a comforting feeling.

"It's sad that it had to end like this... But at the very least, the whole war with the Demons is finally over" Orihime commented as she walked into the _Garganta._

"It is disappointing to see that Ichigo's efforts weren't enough to establish an alliance in this opportunity. But in spite of that, I'm sure we'll be able to keep growing and developing swiftly in the future by ourselves" Ulquiorra added.

"Please, come back safely... Ichi" Nel begged, touching the mark on her Hollow Hole.

~~~~X~~~~

"Aum, you two" A once again young Satya called Loly and Menoly who were hanging out in the streets of the Citadel.

"Huh? Who the Hell are you?" Loly scoffed.

"Loly, I believe he's one of the Espada" Menoly said, trying to show her she had to be respectful.

"This brat?! Are you kidding me?!" Loly couldn't believe it.

"Aum. Sexta Espada, for your information" He said, a bit bothered. "But whatever, I'm here cause things have gotten complicated. Kurosaki-dono ordered me to find you and take you back to Hueco Mundo"

"Oh... I see" Menoly nodded. "We have no choice then"

"Aum. It's good to see someone has got at least a speck of sense" Satya said insidiously.

"What does that mean, huh?! Wanna start something?!" Loly threatened.

"Aum. I'll gladly show you what an _insect _you are, but only after we've left this place" He said, opening the portal and crossing.

"OOOHHH, YOU'RE SO, SO DEAD!" Loly screeched as she ran after him through the _Garganta._

Menoly sighed as she followed them.

"It seems we're damned to have conflict with Sextas, aren't we?" She said to herself as she remembered how Grimmjow had almost killed them at that time. "Or maybe... It's just Loly's fault..." She tilted her head for a moment. "Nah... I'm also to blame"

Somewhere else, Lilynette found Ashido and his girls spending some "quality time" under a tree outside the walls of the Citadel.

"Um... *cough* *cough*" Lilynette coughed on purpose.

Ashido looked towards her, just before receiving a bite from an apple by the hands of Sung-Sun, all as he rested on top of Mila Rose's breasts and Apacci caressed his chest, adoringly.

"Lilynette... I... I wasn't expecting you... Or anyone, really" He blushed as he admitted.

"Hey, Ashido, I'm your friend and all... But shouldn't you leave this kind of stuff for a more, I don't know... Private location?" The green haired Espada told him.

"We were alone before you interrupted us, okay?!" Apacci spouted.

"Yes, what the Hell's goin' on?" Mila Rose snorted with a hint of anger and frustration.

"Sorry to be the one to inform you, but we have to go, as of, right now" She retorted, crossing her arms.

"Why?" Sung-Sun inquired. "Did something happen?"

"Apparently, we're still on complicated terms with the Shinigami" She answered disappointed.

"Even after everything we did? Give me a break..." Apacci shook her head.

"It is a pity... But it was to be expected" Ashido noted with a sigh as he stood up. "As an Ex-Shinigami myself, I know how they think, and especially, how the authorities react to the mere presence of Hollows in the Seireitei, so I perfectly understand where they come from"

"There's not much we can do about it then" Mila Rose agreed. "Well, I'm gonna take up on your advice, Lilynette" She said as she eagerly grabbed Ashido by the arm. "Hey, let's go home"

"I hope you're counting us on that as well" Sung-Sun commented.

"Yeah, we agreed to SHARE him, remember?" Apacci crossed her arms.

Ashido simply shook his head as he opened the _Garganta_.

"Those girls are gonna end up killing him one of these days..." Lilynette thought, following them.

~~~~X~~~~

The sound of an explosion as loud as a thunder resonated through the whole Central 46, giving almost a heart-attack to many of its members, due to their lack of experience in the battlefield, contrary to the members of the Gotei Ichigo was used to dealing.

"Aaarrghhh!"

"No! We're under attack!"

"W-W-What in the world is going on?!" An especially old member spouted.

Ichigo had torn the building's roof apart, falling from the sky into the floor in the center of the bureaucratic organism, cracking it with the mere strength of his feet reducing the impact.

The Shinigami guards inside should've acted. It was theur duty, their job... But no one dared moved as the black gaze of Kurosaki Ichigo stared deep into their nightmares, freezing them with pure fear.

"Yo" He greeted them all informally, knowing that it was an insult to them, since most were nobles and as such, felt that not only did they have the authority, but the duty to look down on the rest of society.

Such was the truth behind Central 46, probably the most corrupt and toxic part of the Seireitei, and Ichigo could feel that just by being there.

He had no idea about the uncountable injustices that had taken place in such a deplorable place, but the very stench of hipocrisy reeked through the whole court.

Standing where Urahara Kisuke once stood as the accused, Ichigo decided to declare his new reign once and for all, so that finally, Hueco Mundo could begin to grasp some peace.

"A-A... A Hollow?" One of them was in shock.

"N-No... It's even worse... I think he's-"

"Yes" He calmly nodded. "I am a Hollow, but one that has teared his mask, I am an Arrancar. And again, not any Arrancar. I am Kurosaki Ichigo, Cero Espada and..."

The ancient faces of the Souls in the room were eaten by despair as he revealed his position.

"...King, of Hueco Mundo"

He rejoiced in the fact that each and every one of his words was able to mute the whole audience, as not even gasps were produced by those decrepit mouths.

"But wasn't Kurosaki Ichigo...?" A man seemed to be especially confused.

"Yeah, I _was_ a Substitute Shinigami" He heard the comment and replied accordingly. "But things have changed, and I'm not afraid to say, for the better" He proudly stated.

"Did you come here to kill us? To destroy Soul Society?!" Another one spouted back.

"Kensei was tight about you idiots..." He facepalmed. "No. I'm here to offer you a deal"

"A... Deal...?"

"Yes, as you heard" He nodded. "I won't do any harm. Not to you... Not to Soul Society... And especially not to the many friends I have here, who I hope remain safe and sound during my time away..." He implicitly threatened. "Same goes with my family. If I ever find out something has happened to any of them because of you... The deal is over, and I will come back myself to punish you all and believe me... Death will be the least of your concerns if that ever happens"

"How outrageous We don't negotiate with the enemy! Where is the Captain Commander?"

"I don't want to be your enemy" Ichigo retorted, and rose his Reiatsu level just a bit. "And quite frankly, _you_ aren't worthy of calling yourself that" He grinned as the nobleman fell to the ground, completely knocked out.

The King could feel how the Souls that surrounded him trembled in fear after witnessing such an entrance and power, and it was perfect that way.

"Then...? What do you wish for, exactly?" Another one asked, in a more humble way.

"Simple. Leave Hueco Mundo and the Arrancar alone" He replied stoically. "I won't ask you not to take care of Menos and such in the Human World, cause I know it's impossible for you to overlook that. But Arrancar are under my command, and as such, I will be responsible if any of them breaks this pact of peace, and I will punish them accordingly"

"I-I... Understand" He replied, looking back at the other members. "Shall we sign a form to establish that? Normally it would take a long time but... Given the circumstances..."

The others nodded their heads quickly, willing to sign the treaty.

They all quickly made the form, and gave it to Ichigo for him to sign it.

There was a lot of paperwork needed to back this document up, but given Ichigo's performance, it was most likely that said paperwork would not attempt to change the conditions of the pact.

"Perfect. As such... I will declare Hueco Mundo, reign of Kurosaki Ichigo, Cero Espada and King of all Hollows" He said as he signed the treaty. "And all Las Noches and its close surroundings will come to be known as: Hollow Society"

All the members of Central 46 widened their eyes in shock, and some even gasped at that mention.

"Is there any problem with that?" He looked at them seriously as he formulated that question.

They all raised their hands in a protective way, and started muttering incoherent defensive speech.

"N-No! No, Kurosaki-sama!" The one who had first become humble told him. "There is no problem! I'm sure the members of our committee are just amused at such a declaration. I wish both of our societies remain under good terms from now on" He bowed.

"I see... Very well then. And please, stand up, you haven't done anything wrong, not to me at least" He was still unused to such demonstrations of respect and fear. "And one last thing... If you're ever in peril... You can count on me for your support"

"Huh?" They were all even more surprised.

"As I said, this place is home to many friends I have. I would never let something happen to them, so... I cannot promise to take my army with me if such a dreadful event comes to appear... But at the very least, I will come and take care of things, alright?"

"Y-Yes!" The diplomatic one said, and they all bowed their head for a moment. "Thank you for such consideration"

"With all that clear, I'll take my leave. Don't make me do something I don't wanna do, okay? See ya" He bid farewell to them informally, and walked out of the building in a casual manner.

As he exited the place, he found his Vizard friends at the entrance.

"You didn't kill anyone, right?" Shinji asked him.

"No. I just left one unconscious with my Spiritual Pressure" The Arrancar chuckled.

"See? Just like I told ya" The blonde Captain grinned.

"I know, I know..." Kensei accepted. "So... What's going to happen now, Ichigo?"

"Right now, I'm gonna go to the Human World one last time... I haven't said farewell to Chad and Ishida, and it wouldn't kill me seeing my family too. And then I guess... It's time for a new chapter to begin" He answered, still unsure about how his life would continue.

After all, the Heart of Tsukoyomi had been destroyed, Nageki and Bryssling had perished, and he still had a long way in the whole King business.

There was a lot to think about, a lot to learn, and a lot to sort out. But at the very least, he had gotten Nel back, and that alone was enough reason to be more than happy now.

"Will you come visit every now and then?" Rose inquired.

"I don't know if any time soon... But I made them sign a treaty of peace between my reign and the Seireitei so, we're on good on paper, I guess... I don't know if that's still gonna stop them from looking at me and the others with animosity, but even if that happens, you're all welcome in Las Noches" He assured them with a beam.

"That's great to hear" Shinji grinned. "See ya, Ichigo"

"Sure. You guys too!" He started opening a Garganta.

"Oh, and... If by any chance you find a cute Arrancar girl that... You know... Y-You can always give me a call and I'll be ready to meet her in a flash!"

"I don't know about that, Hirako... But I'll see what I can do"

"Hey, say it more convinced! It's not fair that you have that goddess, your pals those babes and here I stay lonely and empty-handed!" Shinji demanded.

"Enough" Kensei hit the blonde in the head. "Good luck, Ichigo!"

"Yeah. Take care" Rose wished him.

The Arrancar used _Descorrer_, quickly appearing in the world of the living.

He was surprised to feel Renji's and Byakuya's presence nearby, as he didn't know about the situation with the Togabito.

He followed their Reiatsu, and of course, he ended up at the only possible place.

Inside the Candy Shop, he was surprised to find a rather odd group.

Renji, Byakuya, Yoruichi, Tessai, Chad, Ishida, Ryuuken, Ishhin and his two sisters all in one place.

"Ichigo?" Renji was the first to mutter.

His two sisters gasped.

"Ichi-nii!"

"Ichigo..." Ishhin muttered in shock as well.

"Renji! Byakuya! Yuzu, Karin... Old man...! W-What... What happened here?" He was dumbfounded.

"Kurosaki Ichigo..." Byakuya said with his typical aura of nobility. "I thank you on behalf of the 6th Division, and as head of the Kuchiki Family, for saving the Soul Society"

"You guys know already...?" He wondered.

"News spread fast, Kurosaki" Ishida chuckled. "Although I still don't know why you're alone"

"Yeah, you saved Nel, didn't you?" Yoruichi asked him, as Urahara had told her the truth.

"Nel... Yeah" He smiled warmly. "She and the others are back in Hueco Mundo. We had some... Complications regarding our stay in the Seireitei"

"So they gave you trouble even after you saved their asses..." Isshin concluded bitterly. "*sigh* Some things will never change, but that also makes me relieved that I don't have to deal with that anymore"

"Are you alright, Ichigo? You just defeated the King of Hell..." Chad needed to know.

"Yeah... Somehow" He agreed that it was an ourstanding feat. "But I didn't do it alone. Jii-san, Arikado and Nageki held him while I arrived. Then, after my reunion with Nel... She and Nageki helped me during the first part of the combat" He said it in a way that concealed the fact that Nelliel had fought him in her evil self. "In fact... Nageki died in that process, but he gave us the key to defeating Yama, and we will be eternally grateful for that"

"I see..." Ishida nodded as he heard.

"What happened here, actually?" Ichigo was curious.

They all explained to him the deal with the Togabito, which hadn't been so devastating, but had made then worried at the very least.

"Oh, I see... And Arikado is now back in Jigoku, sealing the Togabito" He concluded.

"Yes. Although an Arrancar slipped through our hands" Renji revealed.

"What do you mean?"

"Szayelaporro Granz" Ishida retorted. "Old 8th Espada. He somehow brought a copy of himself into the world of the living by using a special ability in one of his past Fracciones"

"How's that?" Ichigo seemed more confused.

"There was an Arrancar girl with strange abilities that convinced the copy of ceasing to fight. I imagine they went back to Hueco Mundo" Renji added. "And the girl... She even copied an attack that... Kinda reminded us of you"

"Hm?" He seemed interested.

"Do you know an attack called... Mugetsu?" Ishida inquired.

Ichigo widened his eyes at that.

"You gotta be kidding me. What's the meaning of this?" He became really worried.

"So you know it" Renji saw.

"That was my most powerful ability while using the _Saigo no Getsuga Tenshou._ It is the one that allowed Urahara to activate that seal on Aizen after I damaged him beyond any expectation of the Hougyoku"

Everyone that understood the meaning of that was left in shock.

"And now there's an Arrancar capable of copying that" Byakuya frowned. "This seems like a serious deal"

"*sigh* I know what you're thinking, Byakuya" Ichigo said, regaining composure. "But I already sorted that out with Soul Society. Las Noches, is an official dominion of mine, recognized from this point on as the Hollow Society"

Once again, that made them all astonished.

"I see... Who would've thought that your kid would become the sovereign ruler of Hueco Mundo, Kurosaki?" Ryuuken spoke for the first time in that conversation.

"Then Ichigo... You have decided to...?" Isshin inquired.

"Yes. I will rule Las Noches, and become responsible of any situation that involves my reign. For starters... This would include this newfound Arrancar and the Copy-Szayel"

"Ichi-nii is a... King?" Karin was still dumbfounded.

"And Neru-nee is the Queen?" Yuzu added.

"Hahah... Yeah. Both statements are correct. It is a long explanation, but I've been in charge of Las Noches and the Espada for a while now. Believe it or not, Arrancar can be very helpful and hard-working. As long as they have good guidance, I'm sure we can make Hueco Mundo as peaceful as it is here"

Isshin sniffed as he heard that.

"Oh, not this again..." Ryuuken facepalmed with grace.

"My son... My son not only became a man, Masaki..." He told his deceased wife by putting his hand on his heart. "He became a leader, a King... A man above all men, that struggles to make the world around him a better place...!" He cleaned his snots with a tissue. "Saying I'm proud...! Is not nearly enough, Ichigo! I'm not worthy of being your father!!!" He wrapped his arms around him as he continued crying.

"C'mon dad, try to keep yourself together for once dammit!" Ichigo spat as his father embraced him even tighter.

"Ahahahaha! This was to be expected" Yoruichi laughed. "I must say... When I found out it was also shocking. Such a sudden turn of events... Kisuke was ecstatic as he told me in fact"

"The Boss is always fascinated to see how far Ichigo gets, and I must admit, I'm amazed too" Tessai replied.

Ichigo soent another while with them before going back to his palace.

In the end, all he was worried about was that the world he was leaving behind would remain safe and sound, along with the people that lived in it.

"Anyways... I'll be heading back now" Ichigo concluded. "Chad... You'll always be my best friend, alright? And now that I'll be gone, you can always use your fists to protect anyone weaker than you if they need it"

"I feel the same way, Ichigo. Good luck with everything" He gave his friend a strong handshake and a couple pats in the back.

"Ishida, Ishida-san..." He addressed the two. "I trust that you will continue my sister's training in the best way possible, and I thank you in advance for that"

"She's going to be safe, Kurosaki, don't worry about that" Uryuu assured him.

"Yeah. I haven't learned much, but I'll do my best, Ichi-nii!" Yuzu added.

"And actually... I've decided to teach Karin the ways of the Shinigami as well. Who knows when we find ourselves in a situation like this? So the best is to be as prepared as we possibly can"

"You have the badge, right?" He asked.

"Yeah. Kon has it. He's down in the Training Grounds with that green-haired girl"

"I see... I wish you two the best for that task" He told them. "Oh and, Yoruichi, Tessai... Tell Urahara I need to see him when he arrives"

"No prob, Ichigo!" She smiled broadly, shoeing her feline teeth as she put her arm around him to whisper: "I bet you wanna go back asap to catch up with Nel, if you know what I mean..." She smirked.

"Tch... And you say I'M the pervert..." He shook his head as he got her off him. "Anyways, take care, you too, Tessai. Say goodbye to Jinta and Ururu from me"

"Thanks, Ichigo, I'll sure do" The Kidou Master replied.

"Anything to say here?" Renji grinned as he believed he'd see his friend for the last time in a long while.

"You just take good care of Rukia. I already bid her farewell" He gave him the same handshake he gave to Chad.

"As her brother, I believe I can do that job just as well" Byakuya noted.

"Maybe, but that just means she has more people watching over her. I feel more at ease thinking that"

"Fair enough..." Byakuya bowed a bit to show his respect. "Until we meet again, Kurosaki Ichigo"

"Yeah, I hope we see each other soon!"

Ichigo gave his two sisters one last hug before returning to Hueco Mundo.

~~~~X~~~~

"His majesty is here!" Rudbornn yelled. "All hail Kurosaki Ichigo!"

Each if the Tres Bestias played a horn, just like the one that sounded before his battle with Harribel for the throne.

"What in the Hell...?"

He was instantly greeted with ovations from his people the very second he arrived in Las Noches.

"He's alright! Thank God..." Orihime cheerfully exclaimed.

"Ichigo-sama is back!!!" Pesche and Dondochakka jumped happily, and Yomi jumped along.

"Was there another possible outcome?" Ulquiorra wondered with a smirk. "After all... He's the one who as a Vasto Lorde obliterated my _Segunda Etapa._ The man who defeated Aizen. The reincarnation of Gran Rey Cero... There was simply no other possibility" The Primera concluded triumphantly.

"Good to see you back..." Grimmjow greeted him. "But don't think this is over. I'm still aiming for the throne... _My King"_ He teased, clearly stating that he hadn't given up.

"My King..." Harribel said, kneeling and calling him that way, despite never having done so before. "I have no words to express my gratitude. You defeated the King of Hell, and above it, you brought my best friend back. I will forever be indebted to you"

"Please, Harribel... It's nothing, really" He shook his head. "No need to treat me that way and please... Stand up. You're making me really uncomfortable"

"I'm sorry!" She did as he told her but still bowed to him. "But... I still can't thank you enough for it...!"

"And I told you. There's nothing to thank me for" He retorted. "Bringing her back was a must. As her Whole... It is now a fact that I can't live without..."

"Ichigo..."

As he heard her voice, the world around him seemed to freeze, just like the first time they had kissed.

After all they had gone through, seeing her beautiful face, with that red line across it, with those hazel eyes beholding him, with those lush lightly coloured lips... Was a mirage, to say the least.

"Nel..." He muttered, Harribel's figure disappearing along with the rest as he and his beloved were reunited for once and for all.

"Ichigo!" She jumped and threw her arms around him, Ichigo catching her in the air and spinning as he held her in his arms.

She was wearing a full-body Espada uniform, just like the one she had in the past. While it concealed her flesh way more than her current design, it was still alluring to leave more to the imagination, although he already knew almost every corner of her being really well, so this choice was more to hide her tattoos from the rest, which still made her uncomfortable given the fact that she wasn't exactly herself when she carved those on her skin.

When they finally stopped, they stared at each other with an anxious loving gaze, one that seemed to be perpetual in that moment of suspended animation.

Then, still holding her, Ichigo's lips softly caressed hers for a single instant, not finishing the deed, as he was still conscious enough to realize they were in plain sight.

However, this didn't mean Nelliel was turned off by this. On the contrary, the feeling of having been neglected right when they were so close was more of a reason to crave for him even more.

She loosened the grip of her legs on his hips and her feet returned to earth.

"Nel... Now that everything's over..." He whispered in her ear. "...I think we could use some time for ourselves. What do you think?"

"That..." She gasped. "That would be wonderful..." She blushed as she smiled anxiously.

Ichigo simply smiled at his people as he blushed alike her, wishing to end with the formalities as soon as possible to finally get what the two desired.

"Hey, Rudbornn, can you...?"

The leader of the Exequias played a horn himself to silence the masses.

"The King is about to speak!"

"Thanks, I guess..." Ichigo didn't expect him to do such thing. "Well... I'm really glad to be able to communicate our victory over the Demon King, along with the end of this conflict. However, we must not forget the lives that were lost, and the fact that war is always going to bring loss to both sides. That is why, I have negotiated with the Seireitei, and we have both agreed on a pact of peace"

"In addition to that, I have established my reign here, not as an Empire interested in expanding its dominion towards the other realms, cause the last thing I want is start another war. I have named this state, the 'Hollow Society', and make no mistake...

By choosing this name, I do not intend to copy the ways of the Soul Society, but instead, show them through peaceful means what a 'Society' is truly like, and I believe, we have more than enough potential to prove that fact.

So let's keep working together. We will continue reconstructing Las Noches. We will build a monument to remember the fallen... And of course, we will continue training and getting stronger to both defend what is ours, and protect others if our help is needed.

We are not Bloodthirsty Beasts. We are Just Warriors..." He stared at Nel straight in the eye as he pronounced those words, making her blush. "...And we'll prove that both to ourselves and to anyone who knows about the Hollow Society that resides in Las Noches. Thank you"

As soon as he concluded, endless rounds of applause followed.

As much as some Arrancar were still not used to this more peaceful lifestyle, they couldn't deny that his words were true, and the idea of being warriors instead of beasts really hit them. They needed to be better than their predecessors. They needed to strive for a better future. They needed to become worthy if the title Ichigo was bestowing upon them.

Ulquiorra and a slightly dizzy Grimmjow got close to him as he finished.

"We'll take it from here, Ichigo" The Primera said. "You should have some good rest"

"As much as I hate to be in agreement with him... He's right" The Cuarta added, drinking from a bottle Ichigo quickly recognized. "You gotta rest and be in top condition to fight me! I need to keep pushing my abilities even further...!"

"Oh, thanks... Wait. Is that Sake...?"

"Is that what it's called? I just took this from a basket at the palace. It appears to be a greeting from Ichimaru or something..."

"Really...? I kinda knew he wouldn't be coming back but, I wasn't expecting that either" Ichigo was surprised. "And sure... We'll go back to training as soon as I catch up with- I mean, as I get some rest...!" He replied, his thoughts clearly on something. No. someone else... "Damn you, Yoruichi...that thought won't get out of my head" He shook his head as he heard Nel softly moaning his name.

"Hmhm..." Ulquiorra chuckled, showing his smile to Ichigo, probably for the first time.

"Woah..." He widened his eyes.

"Is there something wrong?" The bleach-skinned Arrancar asked back.

"No... It's just... I never saw you smile... Or laugh sincerely... In fact I never thought I'd see that" He admitted.

"What can I say...? I owe it all to Orihime" He looked at his Whole and she returned a beam.

"It fits you well. You should do it more and... I gotta say she looks happy with you too, so please, take good care of her" He requested.

"That is something I'd give my life and more without you telling me to, although I already vowed to that some time ago" Ulquiorra assured him. "And besides, I think even a troglodyte like Grimmjow has someone like that nowadays"

"Hey, I heard that! What's a troglodyte anyways?" He looked up as he wondered. "Beats me, but I don't like the tone you used alrite? You... You... _~_Naughty Vampire_~_" He mocked Orihime's tone. "Like, what does that shit even mean?"

"Where in the world did you hear that...?!" Ulquiorra became even more pale (if that's even possible).

"I just overheard it from your girl as I was passing by the other day" Grimmjow shrugged. "Did you bite her neck as you had sex or something?"

"Shut up...!" Ulquiorra's dread look was priceless.

Ichigo couldn't help but burst in laughter as heard two Arrancar having such a conversation. He simply couldn't believe they had gone from ruthless killing machines to, what...? Office partners? Nah, they were still more violent than that... But it was part of their nature, and that much was fine.

"Well, I'll leave you guys in charge... There is plenty to discuss later, but with a drunk Grimmjow, I don't think it's worth the try" Ichigo concluded. "Oh, and be sure to warn Harribel to stop him if he goes further with it. Otherwise he'll be puking _Ceros _all over the place"

"I understand... I'll tell her"

Ichigo took Nel by the hand as he went back at her, feeling her soft and delicate skin, in spite of her Hierro.

"Shall we go?"

"Y-Yeah!" She nodded, receiving his hand, but then, embracing his arm as she clung to him. "Sorry, but I like it more like this..."

"Ahaha... Don't worry. I know you do"

However, just as they arrived outside their room, the weight of her sins couldn't leave her be.

"Ichigo... I'm sorry..." She hid her face on his chest.

"Nel... We already went through that, alright?" He passed his hands through her sea-green hair, gently pulling it. "So now... I don't want you to cry... To suffer... To despair... Nor to lament... I want you to be happy" He cupped her chin and moved his hand towards her cheek afterwards.

"But... I'm not the same person you knew..." She clarified. "The _me_ you know now, is my complete self. My sadism, my bloodlust... It all exists within me, Ichigo. I just know how to deal with it"

"And that's more than enough. At least for me" He assured her, and placed a short tender kiss on her lips. "We all have darkness inside our beings. There's nothing we can do about it. What matters is... That we know how to keep it under control" He remembered the way he lost himself to his Hollow in the past.

"Then... Are you okay with me, even like this?"

"Please..." He chuckled. "I'm not 'okay' being with you. I'm the happiest man there could ever be because of that" The look in his eyes didn't lie. "And the fact that you're your true self now... Only makes me happier"

"Oh, Ichigo... ~Mmmphhh~" She was silenced as he devoured her mouth without notice, making her body sweaty and full of a lustful scent as her caramel tongue embraced his.

"I love you, Nel..." He repeated that fact once again. "All of you"

He proceeded to open the door to their bedroom, closing and locking it immediately afterwards.

Then, he bent Nel over the bed and slowly unzipped her jacket as he kissed her neck multiple times.

"The mark is there... Right?" He asked her, placing his hand between her breasts.

"Always" She answered. "Even after I became that monster... It was still there. Even after I stopped feeling you, the mark still reminded me of that invariable fact: I'm yours Ichigo" She showed her the black Double-edged Scythe surrounding her Hollow Hole.

"Nel..."

"And that's not the only mark you've left me. Your thoughts, your ideals, your feelings... All that is a part of me as well" She said sweetly, and then she smirked in a more lewd way. "And well... If you want to get physical... You marked me, you claimed me... You _owned_ me... From the moment you kissed me that night" She revealed.

"Nelliel..." He said her full name, getting a tad serious. "I'm flattered to hear all that... But I don't want you to ever forget, or doubt... That you own me as well" He clarified as he caressed her face. "Dark Nel was so... Possessive... So afraid of the possibility that I didn't love her... And to be fair, I felt that was the case at first... But after everything we've shared and been through, I would never break that vow I once made you..." He leaned over her. "I would never, and WILL never hurt you in any way, Nel"

"Aw, Ichigo..." She was moved to tears of happiness by those words.

The two kissed, snuggling on their bed as the heat rose.

Nel wildly opened his jacket, and he didn't waste any time in unzipping the rest of hers either.

But for a very unexpected reason, as soon as he had all her naked chest in plain view, his face became bright red, like a strawberry.

"Oh..."

"What's wrong...?" She asked back, and then she remembered.

She had forgotten that in the heat of the moment, getting even redder than her mate as she stuttered.

"I-I-Ichigo... I c-can explain...!"

"I mean... You're free to do anything you want to your body, but..." Ichigo chuckled nervously. "I never expected this... Never..."

On the pink center of each breast, Nelliel had a piercing across. Nothing much, the typical horizontal type. But it was definitely not something one would expect from her.

"That deranged sadomasochistic slut..." Nelliel muttered as she looked away in embarrassment.

"It was Dark Nel's doing I presume...?" He smirked.

"Yeah... Although now that I said it... I realized that I'm still something of a sadomasochist..."

"Hahaha... Don't worry. I'm sure Inoue can help you remove those and the tattoos" He said looking at her arm. "Although, your skin looks damn fine inked. In fact, I think this all gives you some kind of bad girl aura, you know?"

"Stop! I know you're just teasing me..." She pouted.

"Maybe. After all, you always tease me so... I thought I could have a little payback" He replied as he bit one of her pierced tits. "But I'm not lying, you look damn sexy like this as well"

"Ahhh... Ichi..." She moaned.

"How's that?" He asked her rhetorically as he tried the other one. After all, he knew the answer.

"Ngh... Ah...!" She couldn't mutter a single word as she tried not to scream with pleasure.

"It's no use, Nel... I know how much you love when I play with your tits..." He gave her a little slap in her left one. "And I love it as well..." He bent over her and kissed her until their breath was out.

Her wet tongue couldn't get enough of his, and the fact that he was stimulating her mountains with one hand and reaching lower areas with the other didn't help.

"Mnnph... Mnnhhh..." She moaned inside his mouth, a flame of lust and love consuming her. "Aaahhh!" She screamed as she was freed from his mouth, due to the addicting pleasure.

"That's more like it..." He complimented her. "I missed hearing that so much..."

"Ichi..." She muttered as she held his head tightly and swallowed his mouth wildly.

Ichigo bit her lip, with enough strength to let a single drop of blood fall from her mouth. By now, he knew she loved this painful action, and it was possibly the thing that aroused her the most regarding her mouth.

"Ah! You remembered..." She told him sweetly.

"Yeah... I don't really like the idea of making you bleed, but you said that any pain I give you in bed..."

"...Doesn't count" She completed with a giggle. "Yes. Don't be afraid to use me and abuse me to your heart's content... Okay?" She lustfully licked her lips. "Although now... I want to taste yours as well" She confessed, revealing the sadist side of her that was hidden until Dark Nel came to exist.

If she ever bit his lip that way in the past, it was merely to show him he could do that to her as well, and not because the blood aroused her.

Now, it was a different story. The taste of Ichigo's blood was probably the most delicious fluid she could taste, and receiving it from him willingly held a meaning of trust and love that transcended even the most intimate kinks they had enjoyed until now.

Ichigo offered her his lips one more time, feeling how her fangs were carved into them.

It hurt... But it was also amusing.

The two could share each other's blood as they continued kissing the other, and the way in which Nel's saliva healed him after each bite was a most bewildering thing.

As soon as the two had completely discarded their clothes, Ichigo embraced her nude body as they stood in front of the bed, and went inside her as he kissed her neck, cheek, and finally... Wrapped his tongue around hers outside their mouths, getting the most alluring sounds of pleasure from his beloved as she closed her eyes, immersed in a completely different dimension as she felt her being leaving its solitude behind.

His thrusts were rough, just like she liked them. Both the pain and pleasure made her feel alive after all, but the way in which Ichigo connected with her transcended all physical sensation.

She was happy. She was loved. She was complete. She was Whole.

And said feeling was the same Ichigo attained as their bodies danced as one.

Her body was completely subdued to him, but at the same time, it wasn't some kind of enslavement or submission. It was a feeling of symbiosis if anything.

They needed each other, and they couldn't withstand being torn apart.

After the agony they experienced when their link was blocked by the darkness, this union was one meant to heal their souls.

"A single tear

When you rock me, we fall

You are defeat

When I'm weak, I will call

Simple completion

When it hurts, we belong

You are the key, and...

You take me apart

Above, a dark star

When you're up, I feel lost

Ride like a pale horse

You lead me where I can't walk

A crooked kingdom

Promising golden love

My mouth is dry

I've only known your cold touch

I hold myself down

Just to let you go

I hold myself down

Just to let you go

I hold myself down

Just to let you go

I hold myself down

Just to let you go

You hold the beams and,

You take down the walls

You are my feet when,

I'm weak I will crawl

Simple deletion

When it hurts, we are one

You are the key, and...

You take me apart

I hold myself down

Just to let you go

I hold myself down

Just to let…"

The two moaned uncontrollably as they came for the first time, Ichigo's seed filling her to the brim as she held to the border of the bed.

"Oh, fuck...!" Ichigo swore as he couldn't resist her tightness any longer.

"IchigoooOooOooOooOOooOoO!" She exclaimed as her body let go.

Her eyes were full of tears of pure joy as she felt that. The exquisite sensation of his juices inside her was something her whole being ached to receive for so long...

"O' how I needed that" She purred at him, turning around to kiss him over and over to reward him.

"You don't say..." He felt the same way, completely aroused by her.

"Oh... It seems you're not done yet..." She noted, with a tone that almost indicated it was her fault as she went down.

"Huh?" Ichigo wondered what she was about to do.

Until that moment, all their encounters had been through the traditional form of sex, probably because it was what their instincts lead them into, but now... She seemed to want to try a different approach.

"No way... _Paizuri?" _He wondered in his mind, only seeing that in a porn mag once.

Pressing his shaft between her huge melons, she continued stimulating him, and herself as well, his hot rod threatening to melt her breasts.

"Oh, God...!" Ichigo closed his eyes as he moaned.

"Does it feel good?" She inquired, although she knew the answer.

"Fucking amazing..." He couldn't lie.

"That's good to hear..." She smiled, just as a couple drops of his liquid fell on her face. "Ah...!"

"S-Sorry...!" Ichigo apologized.

Nel however, seemed to be more curious than anything, wondering what those hot drops would taste like.

As soon as she tried it with her tongue, a switch was flipped inside of her. Not another second was wasted as she decided to taste his manhood.

"N-Nel?!" He seemed shocked to find that she ended up doing that herself.

Ichigo had been a teenager, so he perfectly knew what that was, but he never really felt inclined to ask her to try it or something of sorts.

When they had sex, they just went with the flow, and only tried new things as the opportunity presented itself or the ideas rose up in their heads.

As a result, it had never come to this, but now that it did, he would most likely want to repeat said experience.

Nelliel moaned as she shut her eyes, enjoying the taste of his sweet sperm as her tongue went around his stick.

She never saw herself as the wild lustful type, neither did Ichigo, but it seemed that being apart for so long made the two especially wild. Unknown to them, they had experienced both sexual and emotional frustration, so it was no wonder that they ended up going farther than any previous time.

As Ichigo came, Nelliel let out a most beautiful moan.

"~MMMhhhhfffff~" Her eyes opened and looked up, out of orbit as she swallowed all she could.

"N-Nel, are you...? Alright?" He shyly asked.

As a mix of saliva and jizz fell from her mouth, she smiled broadly at him.

"Itadakimasu!" She joked, giggling.

"Holy..." He shook his head with a grin. "I never thought you'd be so into this"

"If it's you... I'm willing to try everything and anything" She stood up, and licked from his neck to his face, stopping at his mouth to go into a kissing frenzy once again, one that only ended with a thick string of drool that slowly disconnected her mouth from his. "I'm yours, Ichi... I will gladly fulfill your wildest dreams and your naughtiest desires..."

"And what about you...?" He felt egoist being the only one fulfilled in that sense. "I want to give you that too... I want to make you as happy as I possibly can, Nel"

"Like always... You're so sweet..." She tempted him with her agape mouth close to his lips, but instead of kissing him, she moved her head towards his shoulder and bit it until a trail of blood came out.

"Argh... I see..." He remembered her dark fetish, but grinned in spite of the pain.

"You don't mind, do you?" She asked, a tad worried as she eased up a bit on the bite.

"As long as you take responsibility... I'll let you have as much as you desire" He replied, trusting that she would understand what he meant. "I kinda need to heal a deeper wound though..."

"Of course..." She licked the bite she had just made, sensually, easing the pain and restoring it to full health. However, she perfectly understood what he meant with that last phrase. "Let me heal... Your broken heart"

The two knew how hard it had been.

The suffering.

The desolation.

The emptiness.

The solitude.

The misery...

It was obvious that their hearts needed this to repair that damage, and the two were more than happy to share the pain and sorrow once more...

Cause even as difficult as it was, they were not alone anymore... And that was enough for them to feel a sense of realization greater than anything they had experienced before.

They rolled over the bed, kissing each other and tasting the other's body. Their sweat, their curves and muscles, their intimate parts and fluids... They tried it all in an attempt to know each other to the greatest possible extent.

He forced her body into submission, on all fours, deciding to try a more kinky approach as well.

"Oh...! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuuuck! What the...?" Nel screamed uncontrollably.

"I thought you'd like it" He whispered in her ear as he pounded her ass, and gave her a slap. "Is it painful enough?"

"No... Keep doing it...!" She begged. "Harder and harder... Until no more tears can leave my eyes!" She squealed, her mind completely in blank from the ecstasy.

Her face showed the most fantastic _ahegao _expressions he had seen to date, her tongue scattering drool all over the place as her back, ass and thighs burned a hot red, with her tears crashing around them.

He knew those tears however... So he knew how much she enjoyed it.

"~AAARRRGGH~"

When the two finally came, her ass more than content with that new kind of stimulation, Nel grinned as her tongue fell off from her mouth, rejoicing in her ascension to Cloud Nine.

"Oh fuck, yesss!!!" She exclaimed delighted, turning around, and pulling him by the horn to kiss him. "I love you, Ichigo. I loved you before, I love you now, and I'll love you for the rest of eternity..." She declared, pinning him down to the bed as she mounted him.

"I know, Nel. Cause I love you in the same way..." He replied, holding her by her hips as she started dancing on top of him, her waist and boobs hypnotizing him as she went back and forth, inward and outward.

Their Whole Link had started shining from time to time, Nel's spear and shield incandescent with pink light in Ichigo's chest, and his Scythe alternating between a black and red shine in between her jugs.

He massaged her breasts as she continued swinging her hips around, her soft ass caressing his lower body.

As she came one more time, Ichigo pulled her closer to him, kissing her as she panted his name over and over in an incoherent loop that resonated in his ears in a vicious manner.

They were at their limit, so no wonder that was happening, but even so, Ichigo wanted to have her until the two were simply knocked out due to both the exhaustion and the bliss, and she desired that conclusion as well.

"Ichi... Do you love me?" She asked him as their faces were against the other.

He chuckled at that question.

After all the times they had repeated it now. After all they had gone through. After all the feelings they had experienced together... It was certainly a dumb question.

But he knew it wasn't about that. Nel was anything but stupid.

She just liked hearing the same answer over and over, and to be honest, he also enjoyed giving it to her.

It was the need for repetition.

"I love you, Nel" He kissed her tenderly. "I love you, I love you, I love you"

She giggled in an utterly cute way.

"It makes me happy hearing that" She confirmed his previous thoughts.

"I know. And I'm gonna answer you that as many times as you ask" He held her sweaty hand and her cheek with the other as he entangled his horn around one of hers, kissing her passionately. "Even though... We both know the answer..."

"~Hmm~" She moaned as a positive reply as she kissed him. "Let's go, Ichigo" She requested. "I want to get off in your arms. I want to lose my mind while feeling you inside me... I want everything to go black as we are still one!"

"Then I'll give it my all to fulfill that wish" He assured her, kissing her again as he entered for the last time.

Like always, her nails were carved onto his back as he held her in a tight embrace, holding her by both horns as he pulled her as close as physically possible towards him.

Their bodies burned like a blazing pyre, the light in their Hollow Hole shining more vividly than ever, as their lips and tongues refused to come undone.

"I'm so happy... So damn happy..." She thought as she continued kissing him, the adrenaline at its peak. "You're my world, Ichigo... And I promise we'll never be apart again"

The way in which he played with her horns as he kissed her was more than enthralling, and it was the key to trigger the greatest orgasm she had ever experienced.

The amount of hormones that activated during such a moment is not enough to describe the happy, complete and exhilarating feeling overall born of their most wild yet meaningful moment together.

"~MMhhh~ ~Mnnffff~" She moaned as her mouth was still under his control. "AAAhhh! I'm coming...! I'm coming...! IIIIICHIIIIGOOOOOO!!!"

"Aaaaahhhh...! Aaaah...! Oh damn...! Oh fuck...! I LOVE YOU, NELLIEL!!!"

The ultimate climax was reached between the lovers at the same time, the two sealing their lips upon the other's, and falling asleep just like that.

They knew all...

The pain, the joy, the everything that composed their other half.

There was no separation, and no force to break them apart again.

Ever again...

NEVER again...

For they were one entirely and eternally.

Their souls would be hollow for nevermore...

But whole for evermore...

And if they were to suffer, they would do so together, as one. And just like they shared their most negative and complicated emotions, they also shared all the marvelous sensations they experienced, and their Hollow Holes became filled with the other's warm and soothing Reiryoku, beating just like a heart...

Reminding them, of what it means to be alive...

What it means to feel...

What it means...

To love.

And to be loved.

That emotion wasn't tangible, or simple to put into words.

It was like...

**Dark Matter**

Something they couldn't prove that existed by seeing it, but by the effect it caused.

And that "Dark Matter" of a feeling was attainable by every Hollow, and they had proved so now.

At the same time, the white sheath was just by the side of the green one...

"It's been a long time..." Mugetsu said as he entered a forest. In fact, it looked just like the Hidden Gardens. "But I see you've finally returned to your true self... Yukari"

Illuminated by a pink moonlight, the great Chamois transformed into a beautiful green haired woman, who looked almost the same as Nelliel, and wore the same uniform as her master.

"Mugetsu?" She inquired. "How...?"

"Cause it's the first time they establish this bond as it should be. The first time Nelliel is truly herself" He explained. "Although, I didn't know this was possible either"

"It's been Eons..." She sobbed. "But now... Finally...!" She approached him slowly, afraid that he would vanish into thin air.

"I know, my love" The white haired Hollow smiled at her, and moved forward as well.

As they finally reached the other, they wrapped their arms around tightly, never wanting to let go.

Their lips merged just like their masters', celebrating their reunion after all those eras.

If for Ichigo and Nel that week had been torture, it was merely impossible to try to comprehend what Mugetsu and Yukari felt right now.

Inside the Whole Link, the ancient spirits of the first King and Queen of Hueco Mundo found themselves again, and without another moment to waste... They decided to make love as their masters rested as one.

"~Nngghhh~ Mugetsu... I missed you so much..." She purred in his ear after she came for a first time.

"And so did I, Yukari... So did I..." He assured her, caressing her beautiful face and passing his fingers through the 'X' shaped scar above her nose. "My wild green-haired antelope..."

"Then, after a couple more times... Would you like... To go for a ride...?" She cutely asked blushing, although it was clearly more of a request.

"But I rode you just now, didn't I?" He smirked and chuckled, teasing her on purpose. "Heheheh"

"Idiot. You know I don't mean it that way..." She pouted, slightly annoyed at the dirty joke.

"Yeah, I know..." He passed his fingers through her wavy hair. "And I would love to"

She smiled broadly at his reply, as it was one of her favorite activities with her husband.

"~I love you~" She sang, declared and praised as her breath reached his.

謳え

愛してる

"I love you too..." He answered, the void inside of him being filled once more as well. "And now... We won't ever be hollow again"

"No... After all... What example would we be? We were the first, weren't we?" She asked back.

"Yeah... And we will always be..." He assured her, ending it all in an unbreakable kiss between the first Wholes to ever exist.

"Always..."

As from now on... A dogma was shaped...

Past, present and future, became one invariable truth.

As in their previous, present and afterlife...

They would somewhere...

Somehow...

Be...

**W H O L E**

* * *

**Holy... God...**

**First of all, I know, I took long, and I apologize, but I decided to take a "break" in April to write a story dedicated to Nel's birthday ("April 24", in case you haven't read it).**

**Second of all, I'm also sorry, for I have lied. Lemons grew on me, hahah... So now, my only rule is no PWP, no matter what.**

**Still I hope I compensated you all with a very long Chapter****, and this being the ending of this Arc, I wouldn't want it any other way, especially cause it has 17k words, and 17 is my favourite number!**

**On another note, m****y life has been a tad chaotic lately. For those of you who don't know, I started an Instagram account by the name of "evhron_dingir", and I'm kind of part of the Bleach community as both an author, a theorizer and an OC (as some of you who follow me for long enough should know that Evhron is in fact a character).**

**At first glance it was all nice. I've made some truly awesome friends, of whom I recommend my best Ig friend "Nellieltu0delschwanck" who inspired me with a couple lines here (cause she's a great writer as well, and I invite you to check her "N0elniihashi" account if you're interested in sweet Burn the Witch content).**

**But, there's also problems. There are many cancerous accounts in the community. Scammers, content-thiefs, haters, ship-wars... So, there's also conflict and even I have been involved in some shitty stuff, but don't worry, I can take that shit well, and the wonderful people I've met make it all worth it.**

**I'll give a proper conclusion in an extra Chapter meant only for additional content regarding the story and writing-process, as well as main sources of inspiration for names, titles, attacks and more.**

**Also in that part I will reveal info on the next projects I have in schedule.**

**Reviews:**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: _Whoohoo, yea! Great work! So...the rift of power that was created when Ichick and Yama fought impacted the dimension of the Wandenreich? Interesting..._**

**_And what else is interesting, is how underneath Squad 1, Aizen could feel the amazing power from up above!_**

**Reply: Thanks! in the final part of this Chapter you'll see exactly what the rift caused in that Dimension, fufufufu...**

**And of course, Aizen had a little cameo as well lol. We'll see more of him in the future, don't worry.**

* * *

_Some__ weeks later..._

"And... It's all good, Nel-san! Although, you guys should be more careful... I understand that you're young, but you should be a role model for all the other Wholes, and Arrancar in general" Urahara said as he concluded examining her.

"Y-Yes..." Nelliel nodded in shame, unwilling to refute in spite of her ignorance in the area.

Of course by now, Orihime had helped her return her arm to the state it had before the tattoos and the very special piercings, so she was way more comfortable with her body just like it was before.

"No, Nel. I should be the one to apologize" Ichigo clarified. "Mugetsu told me this could happen once we solved the whole Demon Rebellion... But I forgot about it completely"

"It's not like I'm not interested in seeing the product of a union between Arrancar, don't get me wrong..." Urahara chuckled. "But I understand that you still have a lot of things to deal with, especially since Ichigo's decision..."

"Yeah..." He agreed, looking at the small tesseract he had in a chain necklace.

After the destruction of the Heart of Tsukoyomi, he still needed a way to turn Adjuchas and Vasto Lordes into Arrancar. He discussed the topic with Urahara and Mugetsu, and they got to the conclusion that they could seal the portion of Tsukoyomi's power in an object, and it would work just like the Heart used to, the only major difference being the amount of Reiatsu inside of it, which was still colossal, but not as dangerous as the original source.

This meant, Ichigo couldn't use _Segunda Etapa_ and beyond anymore, which wasn't so dramatic given the fact that his _Primera Etapa _was still as powerful as an _Etapa Final_ from his Espadas, and besides, he still had other sources of power yet to explore...

But anyways, into the physical, this meant that his eyes weren't surrounded by black sclera anymore, and the mark in Nel's Hollow Hole had turned red and blue, and changed form into two Zanpakutou, most likely a representation of Las Noches and Zangetsu.

"Well, with the pills I designed, you and the others won't have to worry about getting kids yet... Although it seems to be too late for Ashido-san, hehehe" He chuckled.

"Too damn late..." Ichigo sighed, feeling that it was his fault.

"Anyways, is there any date for a wedding yet?" The shop owner inquired, interested. "Royal Weddings are always stunning events, so even being Hueco Mundo, I'm sure many are interested to attend"

"The wedding... I had forgotten about that" Nel remembered, as she wanted to do it still.

"Yeah... And the fact that we only recently solved the mystery of the disappearances wasn't of much help" Ichigo noted, giving insight about their most recent problem.

Cien had been getting Arrancar to experiment on during the past weeks, but was recently confronted and defeated by Ichigo's Espadas.

"The good thing is... Ulquiorra and Grimmjow already took care of that Arrancar... Cien was his name, right?"

"I think so" She nodded thoughtful. "He's really similar to Szayelaporro, but definitely not the same, or at least for what I remember..."

"What are you going to do with him?" Urahara wondered. "I heard he is a pretty good scientist... And given the fact that I must lay low since I'm hiding Ichimaru-san as I develop a new Hougyoku... I can't really help you as much as you or I would like"

"And his Fracción is a really good healer as well, which could come in handy, since I and Inoue-san are technically the only ones with useful abilities in that matter" Nel added.

"I'm still thinking about that to be honest... Cause I've heard about the original Szayelaporro, and I find it difficult to trust him" Ichigo admitted. "And we've also got to deal with the fact that Cien is even more powerful than him... So It's a difficult choice. Maybe, if there was a way to limit his abilities, or to have some sort of control over his actions... I could work with him"

"What kind of control are you talking about?" Urahara grinned.

"Hmph, I know what you mean, but nothing serious. Just, a way to make sure he doesn't do anything traitorous or illegal while conducting his research"

"Illegal? Oh, that's right! You are writing laws and composing a constitution for your reign, aren't you?" Kisuke wanted more detail.

"Yes, although I'm not the main person in charge. I just check that everything's in order, but Harribel and Nel are the ones who have designed most of it, while I asked Byakuya to help us define its structure in a proper manner. Since he's from one of the Noble Families and so over the top, well, I thought he'd be perfect for this task, and I wasn't wrong in my judgement"

"I see, I see..." He held his chin. "There's so much change lately... After Jigoku lost its original ruler and all"

"But Arikado said he would raise Yomi to take that place in the future, and that he was left in charge in the meantime, so everything should go well for them, and as a result, for us as well..."

"That is true" He agreed. "Well, I guess I'll be leaving now, so that you can think about all this stuff calmly. A pleasure seeing you two, and above all, it's great to see you're happy"

"Thank you, Urahara-san. Please give our best wishes to Ichi's family, Yoruichi-san, Ishida-san, Chad-san and Rangiku-san if you see her, alright?" Nelliel said. "We'll give invitations to you all for the wedding"

"I'm counting on that, and I'll do my best with your greetings, Nel-san. I see that being a Queen hasn't made you any less caring or worried about others"

"Of course not. It is part of Nel's being, and I love that about her, just like all the rest" He gave his fiancée an inuit nose kiss to show his appreciation.

"Yeah, I definitely have to go now. Don't wanna interfere in the sexual encounter between Arrancar of your level, especially now that I gave you those pills..."

"Hey, it's not like we're animals, Urahara-san, that's mean!" Nel pouted.

"Yeah, what are ya trying to say?" Ichigo inquired with a menacing aura.

"Oh, just fooling around a little bit. Anyways, I wish you lots of luck and I'll try to deliver those messages, Nel-san! Byeee!" Urahara waved his hand and disappeared.

"Oi...!" Ichigo was gonna go after him, but Nel caught him by the arm.

"He was just joking, and besides, we know we're anything but beasts, right?" She said in a conciliatory manner. "Going after him would be finding at least a speck of truth in those words"

"*sigh* Yeah... I guess you're right" He concluded. "So... Would you like to go to the human world today?"

"With all our duties...? Are you sure?" She asked surprised. "I mean, not that it bothers me, but..."

"It's just for today, and since Urahara got us Gigai it will be easy" He assured her. "Good thing that Kon had his hair cut. That way, it won't appear like there are two Ichigos or something awkward like that"

"Well, if you put it that way... Yes!" She agreed cheerfully. "What do you want to do...?"

"I don't know. I thought we could have a day for ourselves. We've never really had an actual date, so I thought it'd be a nice change of pace"

"Oh, really? I'd love to know what a date is like!" She clapped her hands anxiously.

"And I want to show you that as well" He replied with a smile, blushing a bit. "Not that I really know what it is to go on a date with a girl... But I know the theory, so I'm sure we'll work something out"

"And if not, we can always come back and, you know... Just lock that door..." She insinuated with a lewd smirk.

"Hahaha, I know... But let's try something different for today, shall we?" He offered her his hand.

"Sure! I'll go with you wherever you want" She accepted it and grabbed his arm as she leaned on his shoulder.

"Let's pick some nicer clothes then... You know, it's a date and all" He wouldn't go so casual, or worse, in an Espada uniform.

"Yeah! I know the perfect attire!" She remembered a beautiful green dress that Pesche and Dondochakka had given her.

"Great. I'll go look for something. I'll be right back"

"~Okay~" She cutely said in reply.

Ichigo smirked with determination as he went to fetch a special gift.

"You might not know about these things... But if we're doing this, I might as well do everything properly" He said inside his head as he thought of a very special piece of jewelry he had gotten her. One to ask her hand as they dined on a fine restaurant by the night.

Would everything be as he expected?

Like always.

Only _T__ime, _will tell...

~~~~X~~~~

_At the same time, in a white city..._

A green haired Sternritter had just finished preparing an apple pie.

"Well... I hope Lil likes this one" She said to herself. "It's a good thing that cooking doesn't involve messing my hair up, and what can I say... I bake some pretty damn good pies" She smirked as she thought that.

A dark brown-haired one in a more conservative uniform entered the kitchen.

"Hey Candi, have you seen Gigi?" She asked with a rather pissed aura.

"No, Bambi, not in a while" She denied. "Did something happen?"

"You know, the usual stuff" She sighed. "It's her turn to patrol the area to be on the look in case the intruder shows himself, but she's nowhere to be found" She crossed her arms as she thought about the irresponsible Trap.

"I see... But it's no wonder given that this isn't precisely part of the routine. In fact, it is pretty silly to think that someone could break into this dimension, and what's more, _Silbern_, ain't it?" Candice inquired.

"I think so as well, but the scarce data we have says he's really dangerous. No one knows where he comes from, much less what he wants. All we know, is that he's a white-haired male who just... Appeared in the periphery and defeated a whole reconnaissance unit on his own" Bambietta explained.

"Seems pretty odd that not even his Majesty knows exactly... But well, guess that's why we're on guard" Candice frowned as she thought about the whole situation. "But whatever... It's not my turn now, so you go find Gigi and I'll be here guarding my apple pie. I promised Lil I'd make one for her today, so I tried my best. Last time she criticized my pastries saying someone else had done better, so I'll prove her wrong today. Candi is not just some random nickname you know? I gotta live up to it"

"By baking delicious sweet tarts?" Bambi wondered.

"Exactly" She stuck her tongue out.

"Hmph... I guess some people have too much free time on their hands..." Bambi commented insidiously as she left the room.

"Oi, got a problem?! At least _I_ know a healthy way of relieving stress!" She yelled at her fellow Femritter, yet the other one didn't care as she had better things to do. "That psychopathic skank..."

Candice decided to sit on the couch and read a magazine as she waited for the pie to be ready.

She didn't like reading that much, but there were always a couple articles that gave tips about beauty and especially, her favourite section: "Hair Care".

About fifteen minutes into that, she became sleepy, so seeing as the pie had still a while left before being ready, she carefully leaned a bit more on the sofa to catch some Zs.

When she woke up, it was because of the sound of the oven's timer finishing.

"Hm? Is it ready...? *yawn*" She stood up and gave a look at the kitchen. "What the fuck?!"

With a fork in hand and a slice of pie in a plate, a white-haired man covered his full mouth to speak.

"Srry!" He engulfed the piece inside his mouth quickly. "Did you make this? It's delicious!" He complimented. "I do think the dough would be better with a little saltier touch though, but you can add more butter next time"

He wore a somber black hoodie and dark jeans, with a gray T-shirt beneath that was splattered with red ink, as if it was stained with blood.

His hair was white, long and messy, and it covered the left side of his face, only one of his deep purple eyes being in sight.

Overall it was a pretty common outfit, neat, but nothing so out of the ordinary for a human being.

However, what was really alarming was the fact that he was a male, clearly not a Sternritter, and had white hair.

He had to be the intruder.

Candice wasted no time as she pushed him into the wall as fast as a lightning, holding him by the v-neck of his t-shirt.

"Hey, no need to get so upset, I just wanted a little piece, haha" He smiled in a childish and harmless way.

"He doesn't seem fazed by my speed or strength, much less animosity. Who is this person?!" She thought in shock. "Who are you, and what the Hell are ya doing 'ere?!

"Oh, my manners..." He shut his eye in disappointment for a moment. "The name's Atticus. As for what am I doing? Pretty simple. I have a terrific sense of smell when it comes to delicious food, and I was taking a stroll around here when the sweet mouth-watering scent of your pie guided me to this place, so I decided to enter and try it by myself" He seemed to answer with honesty.

"Well, Atticus... I have no idea of how you got here and I don't care, but you're very suspicious, so I'll have to zap you and take you to his Majesty" She told him.

"Oh, electricity? Just the prescription I need!" He teased her. "Go ahead!"

"What the- Is he a masochist? Or maybe he's expecting me to attack and it's a trap...? No, he must be trying to scare me or confuse me, that must be it. Well, that's not happening against Candice Catnipp, no, sir" She thought proudly as she charged electricity in her other hand. "Lights out"

She slapped him with that hand, with a power that would've easily wounded badly even a low-class Quincy Soldier.

"Ahhh... That hurt, girl!" He complained.

"What in the world...?"

"Ahahaha... You really thought I would've gotten this far being so easy to catch?" He mocked her.

"So it _is_ you...!"

"Of course it's me! Who else would I be...?" He wondered, teasing her more.

"No! I mean...! Grrrr!" She became pissed at him, charging her fist with electricity.

She punched him a couple times, although the only thing that seemed to give him was a nosebleed.

"You can try all you want, but this leads nowhere..."

"Oh really? Then why are you bleeding?" She grinned triumphantly.

"Um... I... I have no idea... Hahahaha" He laughed as he stopped staring at her boobs.

Candice realized this, every fiber of her body becoming enraged.

"You're so DEAD!" She spouted as she charged more electricity and dealt a deadly punch at him.

Unfortunately for her, Atticus was done turning the other cheek.

Her punch was stopped by his hand, which not only was powerful enough to stop that, but was also charged with dark purple electricity with an equal intensity as hers.

"No way...!" She was shocked by that development.

"Look, if you keep doing this, at the very least you're gonna have to bake me a pie. Using me as a punching ball is not for free, you know?" He retorted, a tad bothered.

"What... Are you...?" She muttered as her lip trembled and she stepped back.

He smiled once again, and simply replied:

"I'm Atticus Arctopus. A man who knows nothing about everything. Nice to meet you!"


	46. FINAL WORDS (NOT A CHAPTER)

Well, so this was "Depths of Hell: The Demon Rebellion Arc".

To be honest, in spite of naming it Arc, I wasn't really counting on continuing the story after finishing it. In fact, I wasn't counting with many things.

I thought this would end at about 25-30 Chapters at most, but your support along with my own inspiration convinced me of taking things further and adding and creating a lot more stuff than I had thought when I first planned it all.

Needless to say, I hope that everything seemed okay to you as you read and that nothing seemed _too_ out of character or disconnected from the rest of the events.

Of course, this is a Fanfic. I changed stuff, I developed both characters and their relationships in order to work and to convey as best as I could, but there will always be people who seem off with some of the choices one makes as a writer.

For example, while not confirmed, Nelliel's aspect of Death is supposed to be Lamentation, but honestly from my perspective, it didn't fit her as well as Betrayal.

Then we have all the backstory I made with both the Gods, Hueco Mundo and stuff, so... If you want to think of this World, I'd rather have you think of it as an alternate version of Bleach.

For the reckon, while we follow the same TYBW, CFYOW... structure, many things aren't the same way they used to be, so a lot of stuff will have to change and occur in different ways, and to that I wanted to get now.

The next part planned is of course a TYBW rewrite that takes into consideration DoH as its prequel.

Because of this, I wanted to clarify that I'm going to make a lot of stuff up, in the sense of backstories for the Sternritters and stuff of that kind, cause in the Manga, these guys just come out of nowhere being total psychopaths in some cases, or just behaving in a very special way, yet we rarely saw why this happened.

There are some exceptions like Äs Nödt, Jugram, Bazz B, and a couple others, but I want to go deeper into this, especially with the Femritters.

Who is this OC, Atticus, for example?

Well, that's something left to the story, right? But I can leave you a little data piece:

Atticus Arctopus

Age: 20

Blood Type: O

Height: 180 cm.

Race: Human?

Skill: Archétype

Eye color: Dark purple

Hair color: White

Well, with that part closed, let's go into the more organizational stuff.

So, what's gonna happen from here? When is next part coming out?

Well, I want to start by saying that I want to take a little hiatus from writing Bleach for three reasons, ordered from less to most important:

1\. Rest: I need to breathe for a moment, watch other Anime, have other sources of entertainment and inspiration and also dedicate to College, guitar, videogames and attempting to draw.

2\. Investigation: I want to reread TYBW and have everything clear about the different characters, abilities, places and all content that appears in this Arc.

3\. Light Novel: YES, the time has come. I'm gonna release my original Light Novel in its Raw Format (no drawings) in Web Novel, in a couple days.

This last point is the most important cause I NEED your support. I need to know whether my story is interesting, what do you think about the characters, tell me what seems off or what I could improve, and of course, if you enjoy it, support it by sharing it or telling your friends about it.

Cause, mark my words...

**This story is my life's work.**

I want to be a LN writer.

I want to be able to live of doing this.

I want to see this turned into a Comic/Manga and, my greatest aspiration is to see it turned into an Anime.

So I need YOU, whoever is reading this, to at least give it a try once it's up.

Of course, my account's name is "Evhron" in Web Novel as well, and I'll only release that story for the meantime, so it's gonna be pretty easy to find once it's up.

With that said, I want to leave clear that I still want to write Fanfics cause it's a nice way of practicing and having fun, but I'm gonna need more time to focus in my Original Work above it, that's all. I hope you all understand.

About Depths of Hell:

OCs inspiration:

Koichiro and Soichiro: Unicorn and Amduscias from Castlevania CoD.

Mizuwari: Medusa of course.

Kachiki: Based on both Kenpachi from Bleach and Akuma from Street Fighter.

Four Horsemen names: They are all Japanese guitarists, with the exception of Kento, who comes from Sugisaki Kento, vocalist of 7YEARS TO MIDNIGHT. None of them are evil, and they are all amazing artists, so even if I killed all Horsemen, do not mistake this for hate. I admire them all greatly.

Nakagawa Nageki: There are various inspirations for this one. Name-wise, it is Daijiro Nakagawa, guitarist from JYOCHO. His appearance is more like Yoshida Shouyo from Gintama, and his character is a mixture of this and Lloyd from Code Geass. The name Nel knew, Quasimodo Gandolfi, is a mixture of two things: Quasimodo is a great song by Monuments, and Gandolfi comes from Rinaldo Gandolfi, alchemist in Castlevania LoI.

Neberu: In its previous state, Legion, it comes from Legion/Granfalloon. On its luminous being state, it's based on Nuculais, secret boss of Castlevania CoD. His name comes from an underground Djent band.

Yomi: It literally means Hell in Japanese. Her appearance is based on the character on the cover of an EP by Imperial Circus Dead Decadence. Her potential is that of Yama himself, without the ability to manipulate energy however.

Arikado: Based on the angel of the fifth trumpet, Abaddon. His name comes from Alucard's secret identity in Castlevania AoS and DoS, Arikado Genya. Design-wise, he's somewhat similar to Isaac of Castlevania CoD, but in spite of his longer hair, he's way more masculine lol.

Bryssling Bildungsroman: Name-wise, he comes from the Spawn Of Possession guitarist, Jonas Bryssling; the second part is a style of book in which a character matures psychologically as he grows physically as well, referencing how Bryssling changed greatly across the ages, starting as a Nnoitra-style Adjuchas that was surpassed by a stronger female who dominated him afterwards, and instead of rejecting this, learned how to idolize this leader, to the point in which he felt it was the only way of living. When Nel encounters him again, he has developed a sense of leadership on his own, yet he knows it isn't in him to be in this position, thus happily allows Gin to rule over him and his men as he recognizes him as a capable man in all senses. Finally, upon his death, he had understood Hollows were way more than what he learned at the Blood Forest, and protects Satya as he sees him as a way more valuable person than he is himself, perfectly understanding why Nel never came back in spite of her power and position. His phrase comes from the song "Lash By Lash" by Spawn Of Possession.

Satya Żytecki: Name based on the song Satya's Diary by Jakub Żytecki, one of the most outstanding modern musicians and guitarists in the world. Appearance-wise, he's based on Horibe Itona and on his mature form, I'd say he's a mixture between Bakura Ryo and Uchiha Madara. Personality-wise, he's still similar to Itona, but honestly, he's a character of his own. He's meant to show a degree of autism and a detachment from the world in general, but this disconnection is also the reason he can see things others can't, and his thought process is more chaotic yet way faster than other characters'. He's a genius, but his lack of communication makes it difficult for others to see, and the only moments in which he can escape the chaos completely is either when fighting or in his mature state, but even then, he fears his own abilities for how dangerous they can come to be. He also sees Lilynette as a "big sister" figure, thus calling her Lily-nee. He also finds her attractive. His powers also resemble Shaka from Saint Seiya.

Scar Queen and Dark Nel: While still retaining Nelliel's essence, most of this Siren's traits were based on Esdeath, Dark Roll, Shion, Yuno, Albedo and above all, Yubel. Dark Nel as a plot twist was an idea I had after rewatching Yu-Gi-Oh! GX and drinking too much Whiskey tbh... After that I went into a Yandere Spiral, and since I've always hated mind-control, brainwashing, extortion and such sitiations tainting lovely and wholesome relationships, so I figured it would be the best way to both change the course of the story, make everyone cringe and suffer (including me) and force Ichigo to grow, while still having some pretty awesome moments and interactions from her part. As crazy as she is, I love Dark Nel, not gonna lie ahahahaha.

Places inspiration:

Jigoku: Mixture between Dante's Inferno, the Buddhist Hell and the Greek Underworld.

Carved Desert Canyons: Literally, the album cover of a Scale The Summit album called "Carving Desert Canyons".

Blood Forest: Based mainly on the Red Forest in Ukraine, desolated by the Chernobyl Disaster. The area known as the "Hidden Gardens" is possibly one of the most beautiful landscapes in Hueco Mundo however, and the name comes from the album, Journey Through The Hidden Gardens by DispersE.

The Holy Mountain: Based upon Slice The Cake's album "Odyssey To The West". Is it real? Is it an illusion? A mere challenge inside Ichigo's mind? No one knows...

Castle In The Sky: Another one from Slice The Cake, but it's also based on Laputa and Dracula's Castle in Castlevania.

Blackwater Park: Of course, this was inspired by one of my all-time favorite albums, by one of my favourite bands as well, Opeth. We didn't really get to see this place this time, but don't worry, cause we'll go deeper into it on the next Arc.

Chapter names:

1\. Overthrow by Veil Of Maya

2\. The Great Migration by Slice The Cake.

3\. The Return by Shadow Of Intent.

4\. Heart by ERRA.

5\. The Void Alone by Fallujah.

6\. A New Level by Pantera.

7\. Prelude To A Perilous Fate by Inferi.

8\. Enter The Realm by Iced Earth.

9\. Master Of Puppets by Metallica.

10\. Monmalist by Seraforest.

11\. Kotodamasphere by Hoji.

12\. Ainomis by Anri.

13\. Lysis by Ichika.

14\. Tulpa by Sebon.

15\. Locust by Machine Head.

16\. Moonshield by In Flames.

17\. A Perfect Union by Fountainhead.

18\. Goodbye To Everything by Between The Buried And Me.

19\. Repentance by Dream Theater.

20\. Ancestral, I by Rivers Of Nihil.

21\. The Great Revelation by Shadow Of Intent.

22\. Your Loss by The Fall Of Troy.

23\. Hollow King by Monuments.

24\. The Gift Of Guilt by Gojira.

25\. Scar Queen by Fallujah.

26\. Hansha by Oceans Ate Alaska.

27\. Fear Is The Enemy by Fountainhead.

28\. Shadow by Vildhjarta.

29\. Feel Your Love Tonight by Van Halen.

30\. Sea Of Lies by Symphony X.

31\. Eye Of The Storm by Bullet For My Valentine.

32\. Burn The Ground by Cacophony.

33\. Of Sins And Shadows by Symphony X.

34\. G.O.D. (Guitarists On Demand).

35\. The Betrayal by Fleshgod Apocalypse

36\. Confession by Chelsea Grin.

37\. The Holy Mountain by Slice The Cake.

38\. The Man With No Face by Slice The Cake.

39\. Kow Otani's Castle In The Sky by Slice The Cake.

40\. Riders by Outworld.

41\. The Second Coming by Chelsea Grin.

42\. Undying by Chelsea Grin.

43\. Dust To Dust... by Chelsea Grin.

44\. The Dark Eternal Night by Dream Theater.

45\. Dark Matter by Feathers.

~~~~X~~~~

Well... To finish, I'd like to specially thank everyone who read this story from start to finish, it means a lot to me.

Also, a little more special greeting to Antex-The Legendary Zoroark for his feedback and participation on every Chapter, even though I told him it wasn't necessary haha.

Back to the general public, I hope this is not the only Story you read from me. I really want to offer this world something more... I really wish to be able to print many feelings and ideas in my Novel, in order to be understood better as a human being.

I've never connected really well with other people, but when I play music, cook or write, this is possible, and that's my main aim when writing all these stories.

Thank you all for your time and your support...

_Evhron._


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